‘Need to change the behavior of our wickets’

While the members of Bangladesh's limited-overs squad are preparing for the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand with the ICC World T20 in mind, Test captain Mominul Haque has been silently working on his game at the Masco Shakib Cricket Academy on the outskirts of Dhaka under coach Mohammad Salahuddin. After watching the methodical batsman go through a skills training session, The Daily Star's Mazhar Uddin caught up with the 29-year-old to discuss his lonesome practices outside Dhaka, his expectations from the Test unit and the challenge to improve Bangladesh's pace-bowling unit. The excerpts of the interview are below:

The Daily Star (DS): What is the reason that you are practising here, far away from Mirpur? Is it to silently work on your skills?

Mominul Haque (MH): (Smiles) Not really. To be honest, you need a guide to practice. Although everything was prepared for me at Mirpur, I come here in the off-season and work on my game under Salahuddin sir. There is still a long time to go before the next Test series; maybe around three months. There's no other reason.

DS: As the Test captain, what was your reaction when Bangladesh beat Australia for the first time in T20Is?

MH: It was fantastic. The way Bangladesh dominated four games and won the series was outstanding. I never imagined we would be able to win the series 4-1. We managed to beat Australia once in Tests and once in ODIs, but I am really proud of what our team has achieved this time. It's a new beginning for us. We were unable to do well consistently in the T20 format so I think we needed something like this before the World Cup.

DS: How difficult is it to stay focused here while the team is busy playing limited-overs games on the international circuit?

MH: It's difficult when there is a long gap. I once played a Test match against England after five months and since then I managed to adjust to that. It is really difficult to play a Test match after a gap of five months no matter how many domestic games you play during that period. But we don't get to play a lot of Tests and results are also not that satisfying. I have adjusted to the situation and try to mentally prepare myself and play.

DS: You were suddenly handed Test captaincy in 2019 after Shakib Al Hasan was banned and you won the first away Test match in Zimbabwe. As the captain, what do you want to see from the Test team in the coming days?

MH: We won in Zimbabwe but that doesn't mean we have done a lot in Test cricket. I think we have had bigger challenge like the two Tests against Pakistan and New Zealand. Regardless of conditions and opposition, I believe it's important to have the team perform. Everyone has to contribute and if you look at the stats, you will notice we win matches across all formats when everyone performs as a unit. So, I think if we can perform collectively then we can improve as a Test team. I would also like to add that we now have pacers who can take 20 wickets in a Test match in tandem with spinners. I think it is important for fast bowlers to know how to perform abroad in foreign conditions so I think it's important for us to work on all three departments.

DS: There has been a lot of talk about the pitches at home, where the pacers don't get enough assistance so they struggle when they go abroad. What is the solution?

MH: I think we need to change the behaviour of our wickets. I have said this previously as well. When you have bouncy pitches, you will see pacers more interested in bowling. As a captain, when I include two or three pacers in the playing eleven during first-class competitions but then witness the pitch not offering enough for seamers, it's honestly disappointing from a bowler's point of view. You may have a few flat pitches where seamers can learn reverse swing, but the majority have to be seaming wickets where fast bowlers will get more purchase. Then you will see the enthusiasm among pacers and the craze will grow rapidly. So I think the change to pitches is very important if our pacers want to dominate abroad.