|| CF Correspondent ||

]Bangladesh national chief selector Minhajul Abedibn said that they were going keep their trust on Mominul Haque to lead the side in both the Test series despite the national team’s disastrous showing under him in the India Tests.

‘Mominul will lead the team in the next three Tests as like he did in the previous two Tests. We are keeping our faith in him,’ Minhajul said.

Mominul was handed the Test captaincy after Sakib al Hasan received a two-year ban (one year suspended) by the ICC but under his captaincy Bangladesh lost both their Tests in India by an innings margin within the third day.

Bangladesh Test skipper Mominul Haque believe playing in the Bangladesh Cricket League, country’s lone franchise-based first-class competition, will provide them ideal preparation ahead of the opening Test against Pakistan, scheduled on February 7.

The zonal based four-team tournament will start at different venues of the country from Friday with an aim to give a preparation platform for Test probable ahead of the Pakistan series.

In the first round of matches, BCB South Zone will take on BCB North Zone in Chattogram Zohur Ahmed Stadium while Islamic Bank East Zone will take on Walton Central Zone at Sher-e- Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.

BCB decided to change the domestic calendar and move forward BCL this year because of the upcoming Test series against Pakistan, scheduled from Feburay7, as the board wants to prepare the Test players by playing the four-day competition.

Mominul welcomed the move taken by BCB as he feels that will give them an opportunity to prepare better instead of completing the preparation with net sessions only.

‘’Everyone needed a very good preparation before Test and I hope it will be a very good preparation for us through BCL,’’ Mominul told reporters during the trophy unveiling program of BCL at Mirpur on Wednesday.

‘’Of course it[ BCL] will be effective because If you can play a standard tournament  before any international series, I think it becomes very useful,’’ he said.

‘’I think, match practice is very important. Playing the matches is far better than practicing. Because only with practicing not playing any match, there is no benefit. If you play more matches, it becomes more helpful,’’ he said adding that bowler can try out their variations in different spells but more importantly they will get accustomed of fielding for 90 overs.

‘’Specifically playing in this kind of tournament helps you in fielding because if you fielding for 90 overs, then your body gets adopted [of fielding for 90 over],’’ he said.

‘’While some bowlers will bowl in two spells and some will bowl with new balls and that will also be helpful along with if the batsman can make big scores,’’ he added.