Like many, Mahmudullah Riyad’s international career is over. A place in the World Cup squad is a long way off, and Riyad’s return to the national team will be difficult. Some have called the middle-order-cum-offspinner’s international career over. Some thought Riyad’s international career was over. It is not possible for him to return to the national team.
What is really so? Did the selectors and team management say that? One of BCB’s directors, BCB Game Development Committee Chairman Khaled Mahmood Sujan, refuses to accept that Riyad’s career is over. It is good to say that those who keep track of Bangladesh cricket, they know that Riyadh’s guru and mentor is Khaled Mahmud Sujan. From that age-based stage, Khaled Mahmud grew up in the hands of Sujan and got a place in the national team.
So Sujan knows Riyad better and more than any coach. The former captain of the national team does not think that Riyad’s international career is over. Khaled Mahmud Sujan said, I will not say now that I have seen his (Riyadh) consequences.
Calling Riyad still a fighting cricketer, this famous and successful coach advised this cricketer not to break down. Said, “Steel Riyad is a good fighter. I don’t think there’s anything to be broken about with the team combination or whatever the reason is. It is true that Riyad is also getting old. I still believe the way Riyad tries to fight, it’s not fair to say it’s over. The opportunity may come again.
Riyad is still a BCB contracted cricketer. So I think Riyad will still keep that sportsman spirit. Will fight with yourself and fighting with yourself will be the biggest fight. I think it’s too early to say Riyadh is over. Once U.R.A. cricketer, U.R.A. cricketer. As long as Riyad is saying and done, he will definitely be in the pipeline. Riyad definitely has the qualifications to play in Bangladesh.
Sujan tries to explain that Riyad can return to the national team on his own merits. And so it is said in the mouth, ‘Let someone play badly, Riyad should make a place there, I am not even saying this. Again, I can’t say if anyone gets injured and Riyad plays there. If Riyad has the ability, he will definitely take the opportunity.
Sujan does not want Riyadh to end only in the World Cup. He said, ‘But I want to say this, why the World Cup is the end of Riyadh. The World Cup ends in October. Then there is a lot of cricket. If Riyad gets a 17.6 on the Yo-Yo test, he can build himself up and try another year. If there is a World Cup, if no cricketer gets a chance in the ODI or T20 national team, you say it is over.’
Sujan also commented that there is no need to make Riyadh’s exclusion an issue. He said, “Riyad doesn’t do anything else, this is his profession.” I think he will play domestic cricket. In my career I’ve been out ten times, I’ve been in ten times. It’s nothing to make an issue of. Riyad is an important cricketer. Didn’t get a chance. Whoever got it, he might be useful at the moment.’
However, Sujan believes that if experience is taken as a criterion, Riyad is still unmatched in the middle order. And that’s why it’s like saying, ‘Yes, Riyad’s experience which no one in our current middle order has. I think experience is always considered.’
