|| CF DESK ||

Read More

Mahmudullah Riyad: The last of Bangladesh’s ‘Big Five’ calls it a day

12 Mar 25

The game of cricket has witnessed Bangladesh's rapid progress in recent years, especially in the ODI format. The credit goes to the players who emerged in the second half of the 2000s, including Shakib Al Hasan, Mahumudullah Riyad, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Tamim Iqbal, among others.

Their contribution laid a strong foundation for Bangladesh's success in the 50-over format. Their remarkable achievements include defeating India in the 2007 World Cup and England in the 2011 World Cup.

Additionally, they made it to the Asia Cup final in 2012, 2016 and 2018, which undoubtedly reflects the immense progress made by the Tigers over the years.

Three cricketers will be considered as the backbone of Bangladesh's national side in the upcoming World Cup 2023. Bangladesh has won many series, but they have yet to secure a major victory.

However, the team reached the semi-finals of the 2017 Champions Trophy in England, only to lose against India at Edgbaston. The team's best performance in a previous edition was reaching the quarter-finals in 2015.

Bangladesh had won only 40 of their 218 games -- just over 18 percent -- across all formats when Shakib, Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah, along with the retired Mashrafe Mortaza and the axed Tamim first played together in a Twenty20 international against Sri Lanka in Johannesburg in 2007.

But over the next 15 years, they won nearly 40 percent of their games, including at least five wins against each Test-playing country.

The T20 series win against world champions England this year ticked another box -- at least one series win against all Test-playing countries, in one format or another.

Shakib will captain the side ahead of the World Cup and the build-up to the event with the warl=m-up matches against Sri Lanka and England.