Mominul Haque

Mominul Haque is a proper Test specialist and, over the course of his career, he has become a pillar of Bangladesh's line-up, batting at largely Nos. 3 and 4.

His work ethic has gained him many fans, including among his team-mates who have appreciated his ability to constantly tune his batting to the team's needs. Shortly after his Test debut in 2013 in Galle, where he made 55, Mominul had a run of 11 Tests in which he scored 50-plus runs.

During that run, Mominul made two hundreds in a home series against New Zealand and became the first Bangladesh batter to score 300-plus runs in a two-Test series, repeating the feat against Sri Lanka in 2018, when he also became the first batter from the side to score hundreds in both innings of a Test.

Mominul is also the only Bangladesh batter to score more than five hundreds at a single Test ground, favouring Chattogram for at least seven of his big knocks.

However, from 2017 onwards, his average began to slide below 50 and, by 2022, it had dropped below 40. It was in this period that he became the Test captain, replacing Shakib Al Hasan, who was banned by the ICC for failing to report a corrupt approach. The decision to appoint Mominul was clearly a hurried one, as evidenced by the BCB having to send his blazer to India shortly before his first Test as captain in Indore.

In his first seven series, Bangladesh managed only two Test wins, both against Zimbabwe. Mominul averaged in the early 30s with the bat during his tenure, but the period is best remembered for Bangladesh's historic Test win in New Zealand in 2022 and the revival of the team's fast-bowling talent. Mominul made 88 in that win in Mount Maunganui and was impressive in the way he used Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain and Shoriful Islam in short bursts.

However, he lasted only five more Tests as captain, with his personal form and the team's fortunes both coming under criticism. A year later, he scored a second-innings hundred in a big win over Afghanistan. In 2024, he had two memorable innings - 50 in a historic ten-wicket win in Rawalpindi, and an unbeaten 107 - batting for nearly five hours - in Kanpur.