Mahmudullah is in our WC plans, says Hathurusingha
Mahmudullah Riyad
|| CF DESK ||
Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathirisingha has defied all the rumors and stated that veteran all-rounder Mahmudullah Riyad is still in the 2023 World Cup plan.
Rumours were circulating that Riyad's time with the team may be coming to an end, after being dropped from the Ireland series but Hathurusingha has dismissed such speculation.
Hathurusingha said that the team is looking to expand their pool of players before the World Cup and is giving opportunities to new players, however, he emphasized that this does not imply that Riyad is no longer important for the team.
"I don't think he is past his prime. We are trying to expand our pool of players before the World Cup. In case something happens close to the World Cup, we want to have enough players that we have seen and can trust to do a role," said Hathurusingha.
The head coach also noted that with only 15 matches left before the World Cup, the team is working to have a roster of players they have seen and can trust to perform a role if needed.
We are rushed to do that as we have only 15 matches before the World Cup. We are trying to give opportunities to players we think can do the role," he said.
"Riyad has done enough. He has a lot of experience. We know what he can bring. We want some other players to get up to the mark at the international level. Not just skill-wise. It is about seeing whether they have the character to do the (role) at this level. It doesn't mean that if that guy perform well, Mahmudullah is finished. He is still in our plans," he added.
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