Tuesday, March 28, 2023
Bangladesh cricketer Mahmudullah Riyad has been rested for their three one-day internationals, not dropped, said a Bangladesh national team selector on Monday.
The veteran was excluded from the 16-man squad announced on Sunday, following a subpar series against England.
However, he has not been dropped, according to selector Habibul Bashar.
“We have a couple of alternatives in Mahmudullah’s position. That is why we have rested him, nothing else. We want to try out the batting order with new faces,” Bashar told the media.
He added, “We have rested Mahmudullah because there is not much to work on with him. When the big tournament comes, he has nothing to prove. But if we pick someone in his place, they will have to prove themselves. In case someone picks up an injury ahead of the World Cup, we need to take players who have passed the test.”
Bashar insisted that checking out on the bench was the reason for their exclusion of Mahmudullah.
“It is very important to test your bench. If you do not give your reserve players a chance, then when a first-choice player is injured ahead of an important game, they will have to play without preparation,” he said.
The ODI series against Ireland will begin in Sylhet on March 18, with the following matches scheduled for March 20 and 23.
