I was mentally distraught: Mominul

During the match I felt nothing special. Later, it felt good. That innings was extremely important.

You, of course, know that I’ve already played 55 Tests. At this stage, technical issues don’t’ seem that important any more. I know how to bat in Tests. I know how to score runs. At that time I was mentally distraught. I was the captain. I was thinking a lot about the team. When I took over as the captain, I had very big dreams. I had also told the media about it. When I started going after the dreams, that’s when I faced a small setback. Maybe that’s why I lost my focus.

By setback I mean… to fulfill team goals as a captain, you need to perform yourself. My individual performances weren’t good.

I lost my consistency in Tests. I scored runs in Mount Maunganui. Those runs helped us win the Test. Then after a long time, here (at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur against India) I made 85 (84) odd. That bad patch happened because of my mental state at the time. In that period, my family, wife and sir (coach Mohammad Salahuddin) stood by me the most. In those times, only your family and loved ones stay with you. Everyone else is busy with their own things. That’s how the world is.

Outside of my family, I was in close contact with sir. His support was really important. For that, I want to thank Salahuddin sir. At that time, he had sent me a stat. It contained the breakdown of all of my centuries. In all of my hundreds, my strike rate was 50-55. I scored my half-centuries in an even quicker rate. And when I didn’t score that many runs, my strike rate was around 30-35.

It showed me that I wasn’t being aggressive enough. In all recent innings, my strike rate has been around 30. He also told me, no matter how many runs I score, even if I hit a hundred, if my strike rate is 30, it means I haven’t returned to form.

Yes. Knowing this helped me a lot. After that I thought, it’s true! I’ve lost my aggressiveness. I may have scored 84 runs against India, but in that innings my strike rate was also good.

Yes, that was my natural style, which I had lost. I’ve already said this, this happened because of the extra pressure of captaincy, me having to think about the team. In Mount Maunganui I had scored runs. But even in that match I took a lot of time.

But that wasn’t my natural style. If I play 10 innings like that, I’ll maybe be successful in three innings. If I keep playing the way I’ve grown up playing, that would increase the likelihood of my success. Out of 10 times, I’ll probably be successful on seven matches. The way I played in Mount Maunganui, wasn’t my natural style.

Batting aggressively means to bat with a positive intent. Positive intent doesn’t mean aiming for the fences in every ball.

When you don’t captain the team, the pressure on you obviously is less. Then you can focus more on your own game. You can think about yourself. But dreams don’t just go away like that. My dream about the Test team…

Almost. We progressed a lot in terms of pace bowling.

This is a new stance. Probably I won’t try this in Test cricket right now. I will do this when I play white ball cricket. I have tried it in practice, I think it won’t be right for Test cricket. But with this stance, I can play shots all around the ground in white ball cricket.

You can see the ball better. You can easily play shots against balls directed at your rib cage.

No. When I was playing in the previous BPL, I felt that I have to play differently in white and red ball cricket. As I grow older, I need to keep making these small adjustments. I have to play differently against the new and the old ball. Bat one way against spin and in another way against pace.

As you keep doing it, it seeps into your psyche. It becomes muscle memory.

No. That’s for the first 15-20 balls. It could cause some problems if I do this against the red ball. Because the red ball swings more. If I move around too much, my head position could be wrong.

I’m actually focusing on how I can add more shots against the red ball in my repertoire. If I can add new shots in my red ball game, it would help me in white ball cricket as well. I think I need to add a few more strokes in my arsenal for Test cricket.

Yes. Liton and some of the others can hit pull shots for six almost on command.

Yes. He was working with the Under-19 team at the time. Salahuddin sir was busy in BPL. At that time I worked with Wasim bhai. I wasn’t in a good state mentally at the time. Sir was also busy. Nobody was available. I had to speak with Nafees bhai (Shahriar Nafees). He made arrangements for my training. Now, I shuffle when I play white ball cricket.

It’s the most important thing. If you are mentally strong, you can get runs even with a poor technique. There are many like that in world cricket. Then there are many who can’t score runs even with a good stance.

He has matured. He seems much better in every aspect.

Nothing happened between me and him. You (the media) have made it up (smiles).

It depends on the condition and opponent. If the condition is good, you can score 400 in 100 overs. If the match was against India or some other big team, the approach would have to be different. If the condition is good, it allows you to score 400 in a day, then why shouldn’t you score that much. If you lose five wickets or so, so be it.

I really enjoy it.

Yes, that’s the reason. It would be difficult for me to play too defensively. If you played 300 balls to score 100 runs, it means the wicket was good. Because you survived 300 balls. If you play 300 balls, then you should at least make 200 runs. If you have the chance, score 400 in a day. Finish a five day match inside four days.

Definitely. Cricket is heading that way. In Test, in the last over before drinks break, lunch break the fielders are brought in closer to the batsman. Because the batsmen are trying to save their wickets before the interval. But now, you will see when the fielders are brought in closer, the batsmen will hit it over their heads for a six. They’ll think that mid-on, mid-off is inside the circle, spinners are bowling, let’s take a chance. At the end of the day, it’s a game of runs. Yes, maybe you won’t be successful in the beginning. But ultimately you will be successful. The more defensive you are, the more you’ll be in trouble. If you only think about survival, you’ll be in trouble. In war and in life, there is no place on earth where you can just somehow survive. If you can dominate, you might face trouble at the beginning, but later you will be successful.

Yes, definitely. The fans will also enjoy it. The cricketers will also enjoy it. Nobody likes to play the same way all the time.

Yes, it has to come from the cricketers. It completely depends on mentality. If you decide to do it, it might happen on the first day, or the second day but on the third day you will get it right.

I want to. I will try doing it in the Chattogram division team in the next NCL. If the wickets are good, the matches will be fast scoring.

Then it would be tough. If the condition is good, you can bat aggressively.

Yes, that’s what I wanted to say. If your opener bats for 20 overs, it would get easier for him to bat aggressively. Suppose, Tamim bhai has batted 20 overs, he can then attack. He tries to attack the new ball itself. He will become even more aggressive after that. You have to realise, everything depends on condition. And just playing attackingly doesn’t mean having positive intent. If you let a good ball go with proper footwork, that is also positive intent. Because that would mean your feet is moving well.

We will get there gradually. Right now, it’s tough. There will be a time when it won’t seem difficult. With time, things are improving. It will further improve in the future.

My Premier League season is already over. I will start training for it a few days later. The West Indies ‘A’ team is coming. Maybe I’ll get to play two four-day matches. That will definitely help. I will stay in the middle for a long time. That will help.