Mahmudullah Riyad says Abdur Razzak in contention to play in Dhaka Test
Speaking to the press, Mahmudullah Riyad firmly believes that
that a positive attitude could help them win the Test series against the
Lankans. He also stated his faith in the current batch of bowlers, believing that
they can fill up the void of the injured Shakib Al Hasan
‘This is a good opportunity [to win the Test] and I think
that if we play positively, we can get a good result [in the second Test].
‘It is very difficult to replace Shakib [Al Hasan] because
he’s a complete player and brings balance to the team. However, we have some
good bowlers who can fill in the gap left by him.
‘We haven’t decided on the starting XI, but he [Abdur
Razzak] is in contention to be in it. The team-management will have the final
say on it.
The pitch at Mirpur is significantly different from that in
Chittagong. And Mahmudullah acknowledged it, stating that the match is likely to
have a result due to the bowling-friendly nature of the Shere-Bangla pitch.
‘The pitch looks like a usual Dhaka turf that has something
for the bowlers. I think it [the pitch] will be challenging for the batsmen.
However, I believe that it is about the intent of the batsmen, if the intent is
there, then we can put up a good score.
‘In general, the Dhaka pitch almost always provides us with
a result, which is actually good, but I can’t say for sure [on which day the
match will end]. It all depends on the number of mistakes a team makes. The less
mistakes, the better for us; the more, the better for them.’
On Rangana Herath, he said: ‘We don’t have any special plans
[for Rangana Herath] as we see every bowler in the same light. However, he is a
very good and experienced bowler, and we are ready to face the challenge
imposed by him.’
In the Chittagong Test, Bangladesh missed a host of chances.
From dropping catches to missing run-outs, Bangladesh made a flurry of mistakes
that may have altered the result of the game. And Mahmudullah Riyad admits it,
stating that should they have done better, it could have put pressure on the visitors.
‘We got a lot of chance after taking the first wicket Sri
Lanka in the last Test. If he had taken those chose chances, then we could have
put them under pressure.’
When asked about his captaincy, he said: ‘I always like the
challenge [of captaincy] and try to give it my best. I also try to support my
team-mates.
‘It is only natural for a captain to perform well himself so
that the other players get inspired by it.’
