Mominul could have a second chance
Photo - Cricfrenzy
||CF Correspondent||
Mominul Haque could make a dramatic return to Bangladesh one-day international squad provided Shakib al Hasan decides to undergo surgery on his injured finger before the upcoming Asia Cup, the BCB chief selector said.
Cricket officials had been debating over exactly when Shakib should go under the knife but chief selector Minhajul Abedin said they were already working about a possible replacement for the all-rounder.
“If Sakib decides to skip the Asia Cup, yes, definitely Mominul has a chance,’ said Minhajul. ‘He is already in our plan for the next World Cup. So we may bring him to the squad any time during the upcoming series, if not in the Asia Cup,” he said.
Incidentally, Mominul’s ODI career began as a replacement of Shakib in 2012 when the all-rounder injured his shinbone during a series against West Indies at home.
He played most of the matches in the next two-and-a-half years before his ODI career came to a shuddering halt at the World Cup 2015, after he made just four runs in the first two matches.
In the next three years he was never been considered as one-day material by the then coach Chandika Hathurusinghe, who somehow developed a disliking for the 26-year old batsman.
Mominul’s hopes for a place in the ODI berth returned after Hathurusinghe left late last year and selectors gave him a chance to revive his career by including him in the Ireland-bound Bangladesh A team as captain.
The left-handed batsman excelled in the five-match series, which ended 2-2, as he struck 297 runs at 74.25 average in four innings.
His exploits include a match-winning innings of 182 off 133 balls – the highest ever score by a Bangladeshi in the List A match outside home – which improved his credential as limited over batsman.
The innings, however, did not guarantee Mominul a spot in the national team as chief selector Minhajul said they still had few things to consider.
A lot will depend on the reports of selector Habibul Bashar, who is currently visiting Ireland with the A team, according to Minhajul.
“We have to see how Suman [Bashar] feels about him. After that, we will decide about him [Mominul],” he said.
Minhajul revealed that they have a few other batsmen under consideration for the Asia Cup, scheduled in UAE from September 15 to 28.
The prospective candidates include batsmen Nazmul Hasan Shanto and Fazle Rabbi, who are both currently travelling with the A team in Ireland.
Nazmul, who is yet to make his ODI debut, scored 53 runs in two matches in Ireland while left-handed opener Rabbi scored 136 runs in three innings, including two fifties, apart from taking four wickets.
