Bangladesh ace all-rounder Mahmudullah Riyad believes Mohammad Saifuddin and Afif Hossain, two of the up-and-coming Tigers, are capable of becoming the next big stars of Bangladesh team, reports UNB.
He also noted the name of Mosaddek Hossain, who was one of the best cricketers in the world during this U-19 cricketing days, but he is yet to prove his mettle at the international level. Mahmudullah joined Tamim Iqbal in an Instagram live on Sunday night, and he made the remarks in that live session.
Tamim started the trend of Insta lives in Bangladesh with his show with Mushfiqur Rahim on Saturday night. The very next night, Tamim managed Mahmudullah for a 40-minute long live show.
“I think Saifuddin has the ability to become a big player in Bangladesh’s set-up. He can play big shots. We also have Afif Hossain.
I believe he also has the potential to become a big name. At the same time, we have Mosaddek Hossain as well,” Mahmudullah said when Tamim asked him about who could play the big roles in the lower middle order like him.
In the meantime, Mahmudullah didn’t miss the chance to hail Tamim as the best batsman of Bangladesh.
He said: “You are undoubtedly the best batsman of Bangladesh. Almost all of Bangladesh’s batting records belong to you.
I believe you will have more in the coming days. I also try to play well in the lower order. Sometimes I deliver well and sometimes I fail. I think I have to work more to perform consistently.
During his early days in the national team, Mahmudullah wasn’t a hard-hitting batsman. He changed his batting style during the 2015 World Cup in Australia, in which, he smashed back to back centuries against England and New Zealand.
Mahmudullah said he further developed his batting under the guidance of Bangladesh’s former coach Chandika Hathurusingha.
“It was four years ago when we had a practice camp in Khulna under Chandika. I worked with him personally to develop my mentality and skill-hitting ability.
I used to take a few balls right after going to the wicket to gain some confidence. But now, I can play with the same confidence from the very first ball,” Mahmudullah added.