Rishad not ready for Tests: Shanto

Rishad Hossain, Bangladesh’s breakout star in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, is not yet ready for red-ball cricket, opined Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto today.

Rishad, who finished as the joint third-highest wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup with 14 scalps, is yet to make his Test debut for the Tigers.

With Bangladesh’s next assignment being a two-Test series in Pakistan against the hosts in August, there is some curiosity about whether Rishad would get the node in the red-ball format as well.

Even though the wrist spinner has added another dimension to the Bangladesh attack in white-ball cricket, Shanto feels he is still not prepared for the trials and tribulations of the five-day format.

“I think it would be better to ask this to the selectors, but from my experience, I don’t think he [Rishad] is fully ready for red-ball cricket at the moment,” Shanto told the media during an event at the capital’s Pragati Sarani today.

Shanto’s assertion is not without logic as the 22-year-old leg-spinner is yet to find his footing in domestic four-day competitions. However, domestic teams’ general apathy towards wrist spinners could be a reason behind his slim figures in the red-ball format.

The skipper also spoke about the recent departure of the national team’s spin bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed, who has been widely credited for helping Rishad explode onto the scenes in the T20 World Cup.

While Shanto credited Mushtaq, he also spoke about the role the local coaches played in Rishad’s development and said that he trusted the board’s judgement when it came to picking coaches for the national side.

“Definitely, he [Mushtaq] did a fine job with us… But I don’t want to give credit only to Mushtaq Ahmed. The local coaches had been looking after Rishad prior to that. Mushtaq Ahmed had played for many years, had won the World Cup and was a coach of a World Cup winning team. He shared his experiences and some tactical aspects with Rishad, which really helped him.

“Local coaches played a big part in helping him with the technical aspects. They motivated him and pointed out his lackings. Local coaches like Sohail Islam and a few others had worked with Rishad. So, I believe the both the local coaches and Mushtaq deserve credit. Going forward, the BCB will decide which coaching group would be better for us and I believe they always have our best interests in their hearts.”