Despite Bangladesh’s ongoing struggles in One Day Internationals, leg-spinner Rishad Hossain remains confident that the team can match the world’s best when they play to their full potential.
Ahead of the third ODI against Afghanistan, Rishad said that consistent performances across batting, bowling and fielding are the key to turning things around.
“When our batting, bowling and fielding click together, whether it is India, Australia or England, no one will be able to stop us, In Shaa Allah,” he said.
His comments come at a difficult time for Bangladesh. They have already lost the first two matches of the series against Afghanistan and risk a whitewash when they play again on 14 October. This is Bangladesh’s third consecutive ODI series loss to Afghanistan, and their overall form in the format has been disappointing.
Bangladesh have now lost ten of their last eleven ODIs, slipping to tenth in the ICC rankings. A team once known for its strength in the 50-over format is now battling to qualify directly for the 2027 World Cup. With 24 matches still to play before the qualification cut-off in March 2027, Bangladesh need to return to the top nine to avoid going through the play-offs.
Rishad, however, is not dwelling on the negatives. Instead, he sees this challenging period as a chance for the team to learn and grow.
“We are a bit on the back foot right now, but this could be a learning process for us to do better in the future. We still have many matches and the World Cup ahead. So we’re not overthinking it,” he said.
In recent months, Bangladesh have failed to deliver consistent performances in all three departments. Their bowlers have often kept them in matches, but the batting line-up has struggled, especially in the middle order and against spin. Fielding lapses have added further pressure.
Still, Rishad’s confidence reflects the belief within the squad that the team has the talent to compete at the highest level. The challenge now is finding the consistency to prove it on the field.
