Habibul Bashar expects runs from everyone, not just Hridoy

Towhid Hridoy may be in impressive form, but former Bangladesh captain and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chief selector Habibul Bashar Sumon believes Tigers cannot afford to rely on one batter in their upcoming South Africa tour, beginning next Sunday. 

Instead, he expects runs from everyone, particularly the top order, if Bangladesh are to compete in the challenging conditions.

Speaking at the Anvir Cricket Stadium, ABG Sports City, on Friday, Habibul Bashar stressed that the responsibility must be shared by the entire batting line-up, naming the likes of Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Mominul Haque as players from whom he expects substantial contributions.

“Hridoy is definitely in good form, so the expectations on him will be slightly higher. However, before it gets down to Hridoy, those batting ahead of him, the openers, Shanto, Mushfiq, and Mominul. I am expecting runs from all of them,” Habibul said.

Bangladesh head into the South Africa assignment after missing an important opportunity to strengthen their position in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship cycle, having lost to West Indies at home.

Habibul Bashar acknowledged that the upcoming series would be a formidable challenge, with South Africa in excellent form and particularly dangerous in their own conditions.

“South Africa means tough conditions and a tough series. They are in terrific form and are the strongest side in their own conditions. To win there, we will have to play exceptionally good cricket,” he said.

However, he remains hopeful of an upset, recalling Bangladesh's ability to win a Test during their previous tour of Australia despite facing similar challenges.

“Our confidence wasn't that high then either, yet we bounced back to win a match. I am actually hoping for something similar. It is going to be difficult, very tough, but sometimes we are capable of pulling off difficult tasks. We have shown it before,” he added.

Habibul also identified batting inconsistency as one of Bangladesh's biggest problems in Test cricket, arguing that the bowlers have been performing well but need greater support from the batters.

“Whenever our batters perform well, we do well as a team. This consistency or inconsistency is mostly in the batting order. Our bowlers are actually doing well now. When our batters start scoring runs regularly, this problem will go away,” he said.

With Bangladesh supporters dreaming of a place in the World Test Championship final, the BCB chief selector believes every player must take responsibility.

“Everyone wants to take responsibility, not just for the supporters but also for themselves. When Bangladesh play, we play to win. But becoming consistent is extremely important for us,” he added.