Bangladesh coach Phil Simmons explained the context behind Anamul Haque’s inclusion in the Test squad, after his recent dominant performance in the ODI format.
Just four days ago, Anamul Haque was busy playing white-ball cricket in the Dhaka Premier League (DPL), where he scored two consecutive centuries for Gazi Group Cricketers. Suddenly, his situation has changed, and after just two days of practice, he may have to face the tough challenge of red-ball cricket in the Test format. If everything goes as planned, Anamul will open the innings alongside Sadman Islam in the upcoming Chittagong Test.
However, Phil Simmons believes it’s not ideal to suddenly select a player who has been playing a different format. But, the realities of Bangladesh cricket were also acknowledged by the head coach.
In Bangladesh cricket, idealistic thinking is rarely seen. It’s more about patching things up in tough situations. However, since taking over, Simmons has been an exception, often trying to provide clear explanations on various matters.
In a press conference on the eve of the Chittagong Test, Simmons was asked about Anamul’s inclusion in the squad. Instead of giving a strategic response, he laid out the full reality of the situation.
“No, this is not ideal. But Bangladesh’s domestic tournaments are structured this way. The four-day tournaments are played at the end of the year, and now it’s DPL season. We had no control over this. Our opening partnership has been a problem for a while,” said Simmons.
Anamul, who made a strong impact in the DPL, has now joined the national team for the Test format. After being dismissed for a duck in the first two matches, he went on to top the charts, with 874 runs at an average of 79.45, including four centuries and as many fifties.
However, his recall to the Test squad after nearly three years can’t solely be attributed to his performance in the white-ball tournaments. Before the DPL, Anamul had been in good form in the National Cricket League (NCL), scoring 700 runs with one century and six fifties, finishing as the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament.
Through his consistent performances in almost all domestic competitions, Anamul has opened the door for himself to return to the national team. If given the chance in the Chittagong Test, he will breathe new life into his Test career, which has been dormant for almost three years. His last Test appearance was against the West Indies in June 2022.
Anamul, who made his Test debut in 2013, has played in only five Tests so far. After a disappointing 2014 series against the West Indies, his Test career stagnated for almost eight years. Though he had another opportunity against the same team in 2021, he failed to score big, and thus, was dropped again.
In his brief Test career, Anamul has not been able to make a significant impact. With just 100 runs at an average of 10, his highest score is only 23.
At the age of 32, Anamul has a chance to revive his almost-finished Test career. If he performs well on the comparatively batting-friendly pitches of Chittagong, it could free Bangladesh from their opening woes and give Anamul a fresh start in the white-ball format.
