Bangladesh head coach ChandikaHathurusingha affirmed that all-rounders MahmudullahRiyad and Afif Hossain are still in contention for the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023.
Veteran Mahmudullah was rested for the ODI series against Ireland at home and was also left out of the squad for the upcoming ODI series against Ireland in England which drew cloud over his opportunity in the World Cup squad.
Along with Mahmudullah, Afif was also dropped from the ODI team. Since then, the left-handed batsman was seen playing in the Dhaka Premier League (DPL).
The exclusion of the cricketers raised doubts about their selection for the World Cup. However, Hathurusingha has made it clear that the duo will get a chance to prove themselves before the World Cup squad is finalized.
“What I have said before about them (Afif Hossain and MahmudullahRiyad) will remain the same. They are all in the mix. All of them will get a chance to play before the World Cup. We haven’t changed that mindset,” said Hathurusingha.
The coach also emphasized on the team’s approach to play aggressive cricket with positive intent.
“Our approach will always be to play positive and aggressive cricket. This does not mean that the ball should be kicked out of the stadium. I always say this to cricketers as well. Aggressive cricket means doing whatever you do with positive aggressive intent,” he added.
Earlier, BCB director Khaled Mahmud Sujon earlier expressed doubts about Mahmudullah's spot in the World Cup roster but Chief Selector Nannu did not provide a specific answer when asked if Mahmudullah was in the World Cup plan.
