Happy to have Shakib, Tamim, Mushfiqur’s support: Haque

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Bangladesh's Tamim Iqbal in action.

Chattogram, (Asian independent) Mominul Haque will have senior players Shakib-al-Hasan, Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim in his squad for the first time as Bangladesh Test captain when they face West Indies in the first Test starting February 3.

“Obviously, being the home team we are the favourites but that doesn’t mean we are taking Windies as a weak opponent. We are concentrating on our own strengths to deliver the best result possible from our end,” Haque told reporters in the pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

Haque took over as Test captain in October 2019 but his tenure has been hampered by absence of the senior-most players in the squad. While all-rounder Shakib missed a year of international cricket due to a suspension, opening batsman Tamim skipped the India series in November 2019 and wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim opted out of the Pakistan tour in February 2020 for safety reasons.

“It is a good opportunity for a young captain when the full squad is available. Shakib’s batting and bowling is going to help me lead the side that will now have a better combination. The senior players have played for around 12 or 13 years,” said Haque.

“I have nothing to ask for anything extra. They are all professionals, and they know exactly how to react and contribute. I am happy with their support in telling me how to handle certain situations,” he said.

The second Test will be played from February 11 in Dhaka.