Rishad was initially scheduled to play for Hobart Hurricanes in the latest Big Bash League (BBL) season. However, due to a scheduling clash with the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), he was granted only a short release, which ultimately prevented him from participating in the Australian tournament at that time.
Although Hobart had picked him in the draft even before the current season, Rishad missed out then, but not this time.
The right-arm leg-spinner has skipped the BPL to feature in the BBL, with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) granting him a full-season release. Making his Big Bash debut, Rishad has made an immediate impact, claiming 11 wickets in eight matches so far.
Only Nathan Ellis (12 wickets) has taken more wickets than Rishad for Hobart this season. His impressive performances have earned praise from Australian cricket analysts.
Moeen believes Rishad made the right decision by choosing the Big Bash over the BPL.
According to the England all-rounder, playing in Australia will help Rishad learn and develop, ultimately benefiting Bangladesh cricket in the long run. Moeen also sees the young leg-spinner as a potential future star for the national team.
“I think Rishad’s decision to go to the Big Bash was the right one. Playing there will help him learn a lot, and in the future he will become a better player for Bangladesh,” Moeen said.
“As a leg-spinner, he is still young but very talented. I think he will be one of Bangladesh’s next big stars. He is a very good bowler. He needs to build his name. Missing the BPL is unfortunate, but I believe this will be good for him and for Bangladesh cricket.”
Moeen also reflected on Bangladesh’s golden generation, which featured players like Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and Mahmudullah Riyad, while Mushfiqur Rahim continues to play Test cricket. During that era, Bangladesh enjoyed the most successful period in its cricketing history.
While acknowledging the presence of talented players such as Litton Das and Tanzid Hasan Tamim in the current setup, Moeen feels they are yet to reach the level of the previous generation.
“I think Bangladesh still has many good cricketers, but not of that (Shakib-Tamim). That, I believe, is Bangladesh’s problem. Up to a certain level, they have good players, but right now they don’t have a world-class cricketer,” he added.
