[Rinathq]

Originally Posted by mufi_02
Riyad is a good player. He has decent technique and a handy bowler. But that's all. He needs to be more than that and find out a role for him in the team.

Almost everyone in the team has a role. Tamim/Shamsu/Momin for top order and then Shakib/Mushy as middle orders and power hitters while Nasir as the finisher. No point talking about bowling department because that's a mess. But Riyad, after all these years, has not been able to find his own role. Naeem was in the same boat who used to come in lower order, but now has moved up and became a serious challenger in middle order for both test and ODIs. Even Zia/Reza has a role as slogger and medium pacers bowling tight lenghts. But Riyad just languishing in lower order and bowling as a part timer. Even in that vague role he is not delivering match winning performances.

He is capable to do more than that. He needs to step up and say I can come in early and build an innings. Or say I can come in later and start slogging. And I can bowl and contain runs. But he is just going with the flow and playing in one series and missing the next. He is turning out to be a bits and pieces type of player like Suhorwardy Shuvo and others.

So Riyad, man up, identify your role, take challenges, then deliver. Otherwise he won't last in this competitive environment. Instead of retiring as good handy player you will be remembered as "oh, oije Mushfiqur er bhaira jay, ek kale cricket khelto" type.

Correct me If I am wrong, but Riyad, if he makes the XI, will be there as a replacement of Sohag Gazi. His recent performance with the bowl certainly makes him a better choice than Gazi with the bowl and there simply cant be any comparison of the two with the bat. You cant expect a Shakib like performance from his slot but you can certainly expect better than Gazi....