Riyad asked to rethink Test future

The Bangladesh team management have asked all-rounder Mahmudullah Riyad to rethink his future in Test cricket. According to the team management, Mahmudullah was asked to focus on the limited-over formats considering his recent poor form in the longest format.

This had come immediately after Bangladesh's humiliating innings and 44-run defeat against Pakistan in the first match of a two-Test series in Rawalpindi last week.

"We have asked the coach [Russell Domingo] to talk with him about his future in the longer-version cricket and he had spoken with him," said a member of the team manage who wished to remain unnamed.

It was learned that the national selection panel is discussing Mahmudullah's place for Bangladesh's next Test, at home against Zimbabwe later this month.

The 34-year-old cricketer has been in hot water over his recent form in Test cricket as he has only one-half century -- against New Zealand at Wellington in March 2019 -- in his last 10 innings.

Things went from bad to worse for the Tigers' T20I skipper as he scored 25 in the first innings and a golden duck in the second innings in the Rawalpindi Test, when he was the third wicket of Pakistan youngster Naseem Shah's hattrick.

The question was raised about Mahmudullah's batting approach in Pakistan as the right-hander awkwardly managed to get a thick edge to the hattrick ball, which was travelling wide of the off stump.

Mahmudullah, who also led Bangladesh in Tests, played 49 Tests since 2009 and scored 2764 runs at an average of 31.77, with 16 fifties and four centuries, three of which have come between November 2018 and February 2019.