Mahmudullah Riyad became the fourth Bangladesh batter to reach the 5,000 ODI runs landmark as Bangladesh were building around a half-century from Najmul Hossain Shanto in the third and final match against New Zealand in Mirpur on Tuesday.

Bangladesh’s stand-in captain Liton Das said he would like the experienced duo of Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah Riyad to play freely and enjoy their game during the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, starting in Mirpur tomorrow. 

Riyad was dropped following the series against England in March this year after his failure to produce the goods with the bat. His fielding had also come under scrutiny, even from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan Papon.

Liton Das will lead the team in the first two matches as regular skipper Shakib Al Hasan has been rested.

Bangladesh batter Mahmudullah Riyad scored a 39-ball 26 in a practice match between Bangladesh Tigers and a team comprising of players from the Asian Games squad at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Thursday. 

Bashar considers Tamim's experience invaluable for the Tigers. 

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director Khaled Mahmud Sujon said that the selection panel leaving veteran Mahmudullah Riyad out of the Asia Cup squad came strictly out of their planning.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chief selector Minhajul Abedin Nannu said that the decision to leave out experienced campaigner Mahmudullah Riyad from the Asia Cup was done after discussing the matter at length with the team management, skipper Shakib Al Hasan and head coach Chandika Hathurusingha.

Experienced Mahmudullah Riyad did not make the cut while Tanzid Hossain Tamim got his first national team call-up as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced a 17-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup later this month.

With Shakib Al Hasan named as the ODI captain yesterday, there was no obstruction left to announce the Bangladesh squad for the Asia Cup.

It will be interesting to see whether the criteria of the team-selection would eventually boil down to personal preferences, team combination or the need of experience. The selectors are thus in for an anxious ride in prioritising their agendas

Hours before coming to the BCB Academy Ground in Mirpur yesterday to partake in an individual practice session, Mahmudullah Riyad had posted a story on his social media accounts. It was his first session since returning from Hajj, a session which garnered the attention of the media as well.

While the national team players are enjoying a well-deserved break after the home series against Afghanistan, experienced Mahmudullah Riyad was seen at the BCB Academy ground training on his own on Wednesday.

Experienced campaigner Mahmudullah Riyad did not make the cut in Bangladesh’s 26-member preparatory camp for the upcoming Afghanistan series at home.

Bangladesh national cricket team players conveyed Eid greetings to their fans and followers on Saturday as the country celebrates Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest religious festival of the Muslims.

Bangladesh announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming ODI series against Ireland, part of ICC ODI Super League, and the biggest change coming in was uncapped paceman Mrittunjoy Chowdhury, in for Taskin Ahmed who is recuperating from an injury.

Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha lauded the Tigers’ ODI and Test skipper Shakib Al Hasan for reaching the milestone of 7000 ODI runs in ODIs, saying that had the premier all-rounder played in conditions like England, Australia, or even India, he would have scored around 12,000 runs in the 50-over format.

Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha has backed the experienced Mahmudullah Riyad, saying that the 37-year-old all-rounder is still in his plans.

Despite the dramatic one-wicket victory over India in the first ODI where Mehedi Hasan Miraz emerged as the saviour for Bangladesh with an unbeaten 39-ball 38 in a 51-run last-wicket stand with Mustafizur Rahman, there are questions over the performance of two of the senior players -- Mahmudullah Riyad and Mushfiqur Rahim.

Bangladesh T20 cricket team’s technical consultant, Sridharan Sriram, mentioned it is the right time to consider Mahmudullah Riyad's replacement as the veteran cricketer was excluded from the Bangladesh squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia, slated to begin in mid-October this year.