Mominul Haque has been captaining the Bangladesh Test team since the 2019 India tour. His Test captaincy credibility has been a hot topic. One of the key reasons is that Bangladesh haven't improved much as a team under his leadership. There was anticipation that Bangladesh's Test side would rediscover their stride after a stunning victory against New Zealand in the first Test in January 2022. Though their recent Test series loss to South Africa dashed such hopes. Let's take a look at Mominul Haque's Test captaincy record.
Mominul Haque’s Record as Test Captain
Mominul Haque was appointed as the permanent captain of Bangladesh's Test side in the year 2019. He is the eleventh Test captain of Bangladesh and has led the side on 15 occasions. Mushfiqur Rahim is the most successful captain in Bangladesh with 7 wins. Mominul Haque and Shakib Al Hasan have led Bangladesh to three wins each.
As per stats, Mominul has a 20% winning percentage, which is the third best among the captains. So, according to Bangladesh's captaincy records, Mominul Haque's performance hasn't been the worst. In reality, he is one of Bangladesh's most successful Test captains.
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Bangladesh’s Test Captaincy Record
|
Player |
Match |
Won |
Lost |
Draw |
Win% |
|
Naimur Rahman |
7 |
0 |
6 |
1 |
0 |
|
Khaled Mashud |
12 |
0 |
12 |
0 |
0 |
|
Khaled Mahmud |
9 |
0 |
9 |
0 |
0 |
|
Habibul Bashar |
18 |
1 |
13 |
4 |
5.55 |
|
Mohammad Ashraful |
13 |
0 |
12 |
1 |
0 |
|
Mashrafe Mortaza |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
100 |
|
Shakib Al Hasan |
14 |
3 |
11 |
0 |
21.42 |
|
Mushfiqur Rahim |
34 |
7 |
18 |
9 |
20.58 |
|
Tamim Iqbal |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Mahmudullah Riyad |
6 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
16.66 |
|
Mominul Haque |
15 |
3 |
11 |
1 |
20 |
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
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Many argue that Mominul Haque’s batting performance has declined since becoming Test skipper. But the stats show that Mominul is the third-most prolific scorer on the team after becoming captain. He is also the third-most prolific run scorer both at home and abroad.
Top five Test run scorers under Mominul Haque's captaincy
|
Player |
Match |
Runs |
HS |
Ave |
100s |
|
Liton Das |
15 |
1,066 |
114 |
44.41 |
2 |
|
Mushfiqur Rahim |
13 |
903 |
203* |
45.15 |
1 |
|
Mominul Haque |
15 |
901 |
132 |
34.65 |
3 |
|
Najmul Hossain Shanto |
13 |
769 |
163 |
32.04 |
2 |
|
Tamim Iqbal |
7 |
521 |
92 |
43.41 |
0 |
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
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Criticism of Mominul Haque's Captaincy during the South Africa Series
Mominul Haque and head coach Russell Domingo were widely reported to desire to bat first in the first Test in Durban. However, Mominul had to change his mind due to the objections of senior cricketers. Considering this, it's clear that he is unable to make many decisions on his own owing to the influence of senior cricketers. Mominul's immaturity has also been apparent in his review-taking.
According to statistics, he has lost the most reviews among the captains in recent years. Besides, he isn't known for being particularly active in the field. Mominul does little to motivate the team, which has a negative influence on their performance. He was heavily criticized on these issues in the South Africa series.
Read SA vs BAN 2022: Bangladesh’s Top Five Performers From South Africa Tour
Way Forward
Mominul Haque has been given enough time by the BCB to develop as a Test captain. However, statistics indicate that the left-handed batter has done little to enhance the Bangladesh Test team's dressing room environment. Rather, he was criticized for his lack of vision in making decisions.
Mominul must be prompt in order to make critical decisions. Another complaint leveled against Mominul is that his batting form has decreased after being named Test captain. However, the southpaw's batting statistics as skipper reflect that he has been one of Bangladesh's top three run scorers in the last three years.
Mominul Haque may not be the best Test captain for Bangladesh Team at the moment. Though no one can doubt that Bangladesh earned their greatest-ever Test triumph over New Zealand in January of this year while he was captain. The BCB will have to decide whether or not to keep Mominul Haque as Test captain. If the cricket board decides to change the captaincy, they must make a well-thought-out decision after analyzing a variety of factors.