Anamul Haque’s disappointing performance has only deepened Bangladesh’s long-standing top-order woes—a problem that’s remained unsolved for years.
Before the Sri Lanka series, the Bangladesh squad played an intra-squad practice match at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. Batting late in the day, Anamul narrowly avoided being caught in the slips on the very first ball. But just a few deliveries later, he edged one to the gully. That tendency haunted him throughout the Test series. The 32-year-old was caught behind in both innings of the Galle Test, bowled in the first innings in Colombo, and then caught at short leg in the second. Across four innings, he managed only 23 runs. When Bangladesh plays its next Test in November, his inclusion would be a surprise.
Anamul’s poor form has reignited the conversation about Bangladesh’s persistent opening problems in Test cricket. Opening is inherently difficult, but for Bangladesh, it seems an even steeper hill to climb. Aside from Tamim Iqbal, the team has struggled for 25 years to find a consistent Test opener.
With Tamim stepping away from Tests, the team has failed to find a stable partner. Shadman Islam has shown promise with a fifty in the West Indies and a century against Zimbabwe, along with some runs in the Sri Lanka series. But the other opening slot remains a revolving door.
Zakir Hasan, dropped after a prolonged dry spell, was replaced by Anamul after two and a half years. Mahmudul Hasan Joy also lost his place, leaving Anamul as the only partner for Shadman. Despite scoring 700 runs in the latest National Cricket League season, Anamul couldn’t replicate that form internationally. In five innings across the Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka series, he averaged 12.40 with a total of 62 runs.
While three matches may not be enough to write someone off, Anamul’s struggles in previous Test outings and his visibly shaky presence at the crease are concerns. Except for the second innings in Colombo, he looked vulnerable every ball he faced.
Former captain and selector Habibul Bashar told that Anamul was a short-term fix, and whoever gets the next opportunity should be given a longer run. “The ideal process is that players outside push those inside the team through performances. That’s not happening. Now we need to bring in someone new and give them time and confidence.”
“I think Anamul was brought in as a stopgap. He has failed. Whoever gets the next chance must be backed for a longer time,” Bashar added.
Joy and Zakir had been given opportunities in Tamim’s absence, rotating alongside Shadman. None of them impressed. Joy hasn’t scored a fifty in his last 17 innings, and Zakir has gone 13 innings without crossing fifty.
With Anamul also failing, Bashar suggested Tanzid Hasan as the next possible candidate. “Tanzid could be considered. He has potential in red-ball cricket and could be tried as an opener.”
Tanzid’s inclusion would mean all of Bangladesh’s top four batters would be left-handed, but Bashar doesn’t see that as an issue. “Performance matters more than hand dominance. If left-handers are scoring runs, it doesn’t matter.”
Another former selector and current coach Hannan Sarkar, however, advocates a different approach. He believes new players like Tanzid should perform in the ‘A’ team before being considered for the national side. “The only solution is for openers to play well in the ‘A’ team, which simulates international standards.”
Tanzid hasn’t played in the ‘A’ team yet but has solid first-class numbers: 1,645 runs at an average of 39.16 in 24 matches, with 4 centuries and 6 fifties. Still, Hannan insists he must prove himself in the ‘A’ side before national selection.
Tanzid is already a regular in Bangladesh’s white-ball setup. Hannan believes consistent big scores in ODIs and T20s could help him transition into Tests, just like Rohit Sharma did years ago.
Bangladesh’s next Test series is in November against Ireland. Before that, the ‘A’ team will tour Australia in August. There will also be domestic four-day matches in the NCL and BCL. Tanzid might miss those due to white-ball commitments, but Zakir, Joy, and others will have chances to prove themselves.
If they fail, selectors might be forced to revisit players who have repeatedly failed. Chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain explained the selection approach: “Players who’ve been dropped understand the challenge of international cricket. We keep them around if they have age on their side so they can continue working with local coaches.”
“At the same time, if someone new emerges, we bring them into the process, starting from HP (High Performance Unit) and gradually moving up. Our options are to pull someone from HP or select a standout performer from the domestic circuit.”
Bangladesh’s top-order conundrum remains unsolved, and with each failed experiment, the urgency to find a dependable solution only grows stronger.
