I don't think Rishad is fully ready for red-ball cricket at the moment: Najmul Hossain Shanto

Bangladesh's skipper, Najmul Hossain Shanto, expressed his view that Rishad Hossain, the budding star from the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, is not yet ready to play the longest format of the game for Bangladesh for the time being.

The skipper also addressed the recent departure of spin-bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed, the World Cup-winning cricketer. He emphasized that the credit for nurturing Rishad should not be solely attributed to Mushtaq, noting that local coaches have also significantly contributed.

"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, as reported by The Daily Star.

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"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, stated Shanto.

Shanto also exclaimed that Mushtaq shared a wealth of experience and technical knowledge that greatly benefited Rishad. Additionally, local coaches like Sohail Islam played a crucial role in terms of motivation. Looking ahead, Shanto was positive that the Bangladesh Cricket Board would make a well-considered decision with the best interests of the team in mind.

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"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," added Shanto.

Rishad, who concluded the T20 World Cup 2024 as the joint third-highest wicket-taker with 14 dismissals, is yet to make his Test debut for the Tigers. With Bangladesh's upcoming assignment being a two-match Test series in Pakistan this August, there is considerable curiosity about whether Rishad will receive the nod for the red-ball format.

Shanto's assertion is grounded in reason, as the 22-year-old leg-spinner has yet to establish himself in domestic four-day competitions. However, the general apathy of domestic teams towards wrist spinners could be a contributing factor behind his modest statistics in the red-ball format. In the 19 FC matches he has played thus far, the leg-spinner has only managed to secure 26 wickets, maintaining a rather mediocre strike rate of 81.2.