'Scoring runs is my duty'
Despite being Bangladesh's most consistent Test batsman over the past two years, Mominul Haque reckons that there is no extra burden on him to perform well against Zimbabwe. The word 'pressure' in fact does not seem to be in his dictionary.
"I think pressure is such a thing that if you think about it then you will be under it. The kind of situation we are in, we have to play well. If we can overcome this series, then the games ahead will be good for us," said Mominul, during a training session at Mirpur yesterday.
With 877 runs at an average of 62.64, Mominul has been Bangladesh's highest run-scorer in the past two years. Each of his three centuries rescued Bangladesh in various crucial situations. With the Tigers going through a bad patch the onus, yet again, is on the left-hander.
Mominul however said that it was his mere 'duty' to do well for his side.
"I don't think there is a separate challenge or responsibility on me. In the past I scored three centuries and that's why people expect better things from me. This is my duty and it's not an extra pressure. My job will be to try to perform as I did in the past," said Mominul.
The last time the two teams met in a bilateral series was in 2013, when Bangladesh lost the ODI series 2-1 and managed to draw the Test series by winning the second game. While Mominul is hoping for a 3-0 whitewash in the Test series, he played down talks of revenge.
"Revenge is not in our minds. I think it's always good to forget what happened in the past and focus on the future. It's good to see things on a positive note.
"If we can win all the Tests and the subsequent ODI series as well, we can be able to leave the past behind and confident again," Mominul reckoned. "My observation is that everyone in the team is extremely focused on this series and they really want to win it," added the 23-year-old.
In the Test series against the West Indies, Mominul scored two half-centuries. He however, failed to carry on and convert those into three figures like he did against Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Disappointed with his performance in the Caribbean, the left-hander is now looking forward to making amends against Zimbabwe.
The first Test starts at Mirpur on October 25.
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