‘No one should become a Test player under these conditions’

Bangladesh batter Mominul Haque has once again voiced his frustration at being labelled a “Test-only” player -- a tag he believes has consistently deprived him of opportunities in white-ball cricket. 

The 34-year-old is Bangladesh’s third-highest run-scorer in Tests and remains a key figure in the Tigers’ red-ball setup. Yet the perception that he is suited only for the longest format has often cost him chances in domestic white-ball competitions. 

At the international level, Mominul has not featured in limited-overs cricket for years. His last ODI appearance came in September 2018, while he last played a T20I in 2014. Since then, he has been confined to red-ball duties for the national side. 

The trend has continued domestically. In the 2026 Bangladesh Premier League, Mominul was picked by Sylhet Titans but did not play a single match, spending the entire tournament on the bench -- a familiar scenario for the left-hander in the country’s premier franchise T20 tournament. He did, however, feature in all of Chattogram Division’s matches in the National Cricket League T20 competition. 

Speaking to reporters in Bogura after scoring 83 off 82 balls in East Zone’s defeat to North Zone in the opening round of the Bangladesh Cricket League, Mominul questioned the label. 

“I have said before that whether a player is selected for ODIs is a secondary matter; selection should be based on performance. However, players should at least be given opportunities in domestic tournaments [in white-ball formats]. Preparing someone solely for red-ball cricket sets a bad example for red-ball cricket,” he said. 

He warned that such treatment could discourage young players from aspiring to become Test specialists. 

“When young players see that someone like Shadman [Islam] or Mominul plays red-ball cricket but then cannot play in any white-ball tournaments or the Bangladesh Premier League, they will lose the dream of playing Test cricket. There are financial implications to this as well. 

“If this continues, future players will feel there is no benefit to becoming a Test player. If you ask me, I would say that under these conditions, no one should become a Test player because it prevents you from playing white-ball games, which is a bad precedent,” he added.