Mominul wants to quit Test captaincy

By Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com
Bangladesh Test captain Mominul Haque has decided to step down from his role as captain after relentless criticism from the cricket fraternity due the team’s poor performance under his leadership and his off-form with the bat.
Under his captaincy the hosts suffered a crashing 10-wicket defeat against the touring Sri Lanka in the recently concluded second and final Test that led the visitors to a 1-0 series win.
Mominul, who was called up by the Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan at his residence on Tuesday, told the reporters that he felt it was better for him to relinquish captaincy so that he could concentrate on his batting.
The left-handed batsman’s form has come under scrutiny following a string of low scores. The southpaw has aggregated only 176 runs at an average of 12.57 in his last 15 innings, with just a fifty (88) against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui in January to his name.
Mominul has failed to reach double-digits in his last seven innings, having made only 24 runs starting from the tour of South Africa in April. As a Test captain, Mominul has compiled 912 runs in 17 games at a modest average of just over 31. Bangladesh have won three Tests and drawn two while losing the remaining 12 under his leadership.
‘I was unable to contribute as a captain in the last few series and I think that I wasn’t able to motivate my team. I think it’s better to give the responsibility to someone new,’ said Mominul after the meeting with the BCB boss.  ‘I have said what I want, the rest will depend on the board’s decision. At the moment it would be better for me to take a break and focus on my batting.’
When asked whether he was under any pressure to step down from the role of captaincy, Mominul said he was not under any pressure from any quarters.
‘When you play well and even if the team does not get the result you can still motivate the team. The thing is I am not being able to perform well and the team is also not doing well and in such a situation it’s difficult to do the captaincy,’ he said.
‘If I honestly feel I think it’s better not to continue the captaincy. Not only me even the best captain in the world would be under pressure if the team does not do well and it’s normal.’
Mominul also said that the decision was now in the hands of the board in relation to appointing a new Test captain. The next board meeting is on June 2.
‘He (Nazmul) did not say anything at all. I said that I want a break [from captaincy], as I want to concentrate on my batting as I feel it will be good for me. There is a board meeting in the coming days and they will decide there what they want to do,’ he said.
Mominul was entrusted with the responsibility of captaining the side after Shakib Al Hasan was banned by the ICC for failing to report a corrupt approach in 2019.