'If he needs a break, it can happen'- Shakib Al Hasan backs Mominul Haque during poor form

Bangladesh Test skipper Shakib Al Hasan has made it clear that if his predecessor Mominul Haque needs to take a break from the game, he is more than welcome to do so. Shakib’s remarks came after Bangladesh’s seven-wicket loss to West Indies in the first Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Sunday, June 19.

Mominul stepped down as Bangladesh Test captain after a 0-1 defeat to Sri Lanka last month at home. Justifying the reason behind his decision to relinquish captaincy, Mominul said that he wanted to focus on his batting after a string of underwhelming performances in the past.

It is not ideal to take a decision just after a match: Shakib Al Hasan

“It is tough for me to say, but I speak to him (Mominul) regularly and we will talk again. If he thinks he needs a break, it can happen. It is not ideal to take a decision just after a match. We have a break for two days. On our next day of training in St Lucia, we will think about what’s best for the team,” Shakib was quoted by India Today.

Mominul’s poor form continued in the Antigua Test as he could only manage scored a duck and four in the two innings. In fact, it was Shakib who showcased a good performance, registering half-centuries in both the innings. While he scored 51 in the first innings, he backed it up with a valiant 63 in the second when Bangladesh collapsed to set an easy target of 84 runs for the hosts, which they successfully chased down despite losing their top-order.

It now remains to be seen whether Mominul will feature in Bangladesh’s playing XI for the all-important second Test match that will be played at Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium Gros Islet in St Lucia on June 24.