Bangladesh's 'special plan' before the Johannesburg Test: batters to bowl too

The two-match Test series between Bangladesh and South Africa begins tomorrow (15 November) at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. Ahead of the series, Bangladesh have revealed a special plan — batters Mominul Haque and Towhid Hridoy have been seen bowling in the nets.

Bangladesh cricket had come out of a bad patch into good times: four consecutive ODI series wins, a historic victory in Darwin and a Test series whitewash of Pakistan at home. But since then the team has been circling back into failure — after the Darwin win, Bangladesh have played seven matches across formats without a single victory. Shanto and Mehedi Hasan Miraz's side take the field in South Africa just a week after the West Indies home series ended. Bangladesh last toured South Africa in 2022.

Mominul Haque and Towhid Hridoy bowling in the nets before the Test series caught many people's attention. Asked about it at a press conference in Johannesburg, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said, 'Mominul bhai was given this message a few years ago, to bowl in the nets. The conditions we have played in before are different from these two venues. So we will go in with a slightly different bowling attack. Hridoy's bowling is important too.'

Statistics show Mominul has taken 11 wickets bowling in 59 innings across 82 Tests. He also turned his left arm over in the most recent Abu Dhabi Test against Afghanistan, though without taking a wicket. But Shanto also knows that a single spell from a part-time bowler can sometimes turn a match.

The Bangladesh captain said, 'Whether Tests or ODIs, we don't bowl that much in our team. The plan is for us batters to bowl in the nets.' Shanto himself bowls occasionally as well.

Keeping the conditions in mind, Bangladesh have travelled to South Africa with a pace attack built around Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud and Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury. Alongside spin-bowling all-rounder Mehedi Hasan Miraz, there is specialist spinner Taijul Islam.

On what the bowling combination will look like, Shanto said, 'There will definitely be three pacers, that much I can say. There should be a spinner alongside too. The spinners are contributing well. Still, since we have another day, we will come in the morning, look at the wicket once more and then decide.'

In announcing the squad for the two-Test series against South Africa on 9 November, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) produced its biggest surprise with Mahfizul Islam Robin, who has earned his first call-up to the Bangladesh team. Naim Sheikh's return is no less of a surprise; his only match in the royal format was the 2022 Christchurch Test against New Zealand.

Robin or Naim Sheikh — who will play in the XI? Shanto answered that question tactfully. The Bangladesh captain said, 'It is not that Robin has come into the team just because he is right-handed. The way he has performed, his place in the team is deserved. Naim Sheikh has also come in, and he is doing well too. Both are in form. We know who we will play. But that stays within us.'

After the first Test, the second Test of the series will be played on 23 November at SuperSport Park in Centurion. The Test series is part of the 2025–27 Test Championship.