Bangladesh ‘A’ team will start their campaign against India ‘A’ with the opener of three-match one-day series today amid speculation over participation of skipper Mominul Haque.
Speculation is ripe in Dhaka that coach Chandika Hathurusinghe asked the team management to field the left-hander in just one match of the series despite his being the captain.BCB insiders said Hathurusinghe was against picking up Mominul as skipper because that would ensure his participation in all the 50-over matches, before coming up with the new suggestion.
However, chief selector Faruk Ahmed, who is in India with the team as manager, dismissed the rumour.
‘I am the chief selector present here, so I don’t need anybody’s instruction to make a decision,’ Faruk told New Age from India on Tuesday.
‘The team is under my guidance and there is no way anyone can dictate terms with me in this regard,’ said Faruk, who has had a history of tussle with Hathurusinghe over selection matters.
Ever since Hathursinghe became coach, the opportunity for Mominul, who showed a rare consistency in Tests, had been limited to limited-over cricket. He was fielded in just two matches during the World Cup where he had the chance to face just six balls.
In the first match against Afghanistan, Mominul batted at number nine to face just three balls before he was dismissed after facing three balls against Sri Lanka in the next match never to be picked again.
However, everyone in the team is not against Mominul.
Bangladesh ‘A’ team coach Heath Streak, who is also a member of Hathurusinghe’s coaching management, believes that Mominul has the potential to be the future Bangladesh skipper.
The Zimbabwean on Sunday said Mominul has a great temperament.
‘Definitely, he (Mominul) would be a future leader. For him, this [captaincy] is a good reward. Hopefully, this will launch him as a leader,’ Streak said prior to the departure.
‘Mini [Mominul] has a very good cricketing head. He has a very good temperament. He has shown it in the Test arena. His hunger for knowledge in cricket is good,’ he said.
-With New Age input
