Need to hold on to 2015 lessons: Riyad
Bangladesh's cricket fans will remember the year 2015 for a number of reasons. The arrival of Mustafizur Rahman, the series wins against the higher-ranked sides and their incredible World Cup campaign in New Zealand and Australia, when they reached the quarterfinal of the mega event for the first time.
While all the above memories remain special, the highlight was Mahmudullah Riyad's back-to-back centuries in the World Cup. From struggling to keep his place in the side to surprising the world with his late drive through point, 2015 was no doubt Riyad's year.
And these are the moments that the 30-year-old uses to inspire himself and the rest of the team members during the ongoing gruelling national fitness camp at Mirpur.
“Before we started the camp, we all talked about how 2015 was a great year and how we have changed in terms of training as well, in the last two to three years. We are doing a lot better and we need to hold on to that,” Riyad told reporters yesterday.
“We are all committed players. We all work really hard. There is, after all, no substitute for hard work,” he added.
Bangladesh's next international series is not until October when England are expected to arrive. Until then however, the players will have to keep themselves busy with domestic matches and camps. While many reckon that this could hurt the Tigers, Riyad thinks otherwise.
“One does not always get breaks like these. Whether you enjoy it or not actually depends upon how you spend it. We have played the [Dhaka] Premier League and it was a good tournament. Also we need a few breaks to keep the players fit and more focussed. Everyone's looking forward to the series. Hopefully it will go well,” said Riyad.
Comments