By the numbers, Anamul Haque has built a stunning domestic career. But the same career feels faded whenever he is tested at a higher level of cricket.
With over 9,000 first-class runs, 24 centuries, and a recent Dhaka Premier League season where he piled up 874 runs with four hundreds, it was impossible for the selectors to ignore him for the just-concluded Test series in Sri Lanka.
But he fails again.
The contrasting performance of Anamul in domestic and international cricket produces similar disappointments— repeated promise and failure. This isn't just about one player; it points to a fundamental flaw in Bangladesh cricket’s structure.
Anamul’s latest Test opportunity came off the back of undeniable domestic form. His call-up mid-DPL, his spot in the Zimbabwe Test, and later the Sri Lanka series all seemed perfectly reasonable on paper.
The results, though, were predictably frustrating.
Scores of 0, 4, 0, 19 across four innings in Sri Lanka did little to reassure observers, and his technique, particularly against spin, looked hesitant and behind the times, despite years in the game.
His exclusion from the Sri Lanka ODI series, so soon after his return, shows how risky it is to pick players based only on domestic performance.
Hitting a century after century at the domestic circuit was once considered the main reason to include a player in the national team, but in recent times, domestic runs don’t hold true value for international cricket.
Anamul's career perfectly shows how domestic stats can mislead national team selectors if he's not facing high-quality bowling.
Chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain and panel member Abdur Razzak have both acknowledged the issue.
“It’s disappointing,” Razzak said in the press briefing. “But we can’t completely discard domestic performers because of one failure. If we stop valuing domestic cricket, what benchmark do we have?”
The selectors maintain that players like Anamul, Zakir Hasan, and Mahmudul Hasan Joy will remain part of the setup. But the crucial question persists: does Bangladesh’s domestic circuit genuinely prepare players for the tactical, mental, and technical rigours of international cricket?
But the selection of Mohammad Naim for the upcoming ODIs against Sri Lanka brings up a different story. Over the past two years, he has reshaped his game to meet the demands of modern cricket.
He posted 618 runs in this year’s Premier League at a strong strike rate and was praised for showing the kind of intent and intensity the selectors reportedly want.
In contrast, Anamul’s game seems to be stuck in the past.
He only focuses on scoring runs at the domestic level, but fails to adapt to different conditions or different quality of bowling, which makes him unlikely to perform at the international level.
Overall, Anamul’s different kind of performance at the domestic and international level puts Bangladesh’s domestic cricket system under a serious question.