Karthik and Parthiv Advise Bangladesh to Move Forward Without Mushfiq and Mahmudullah
Parthiv Patel believes bringing back Shakib and Liton won’t help, while Dinesh Karthik advises building the team around young cricketers.
The discussion began with the host’s question: “Is this the last time Bangladesh is seeing the two ‘Ms’ – Mushfiq and Mahmudullah?”
After a brief pause, Karthik responded, “For the health of their cricket… I would say yes.”
On Cricbuzz’s show, former Indian cricketers and analysts Dinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel agreed on one key point—Bangladesh should move past the Mushfiq-Mahmudullah era and give young players enough time to establish themselves. According to Parthiv, not only should Shakib Al Hasan be left out, but even Soumya Sarkar and Liton Das aren’t needed in the squad.
Time for a Fresh Approach
After Bangladesh’s early exit from the Champions Trophy with two losses, the debate over the team’s future has intensified. The discussions became louder after Mushfiq’s first-ball dismissal against India and the poor shot selection by both experienced batters against New Zealand, which put the team in trouble.
Karthik painted a clear picture of Bangladesh’s way forward, focusing on younger players instead of relying on veterans.
“I think they should look ahead, give opportunities to the younger players, and allow them to grow as cricketers. Constant chopping and changing should be avoided. They need time to develop.”
“Bangladesh has some promising talents. They need to create the right environment for Tanzid to shine, as well as for Towhid Hridoy, who looks like a solid player. Zakir Ali is another exciting talent. The key is to make these youngsters feel secure, make them believe they belong in international cricket, and ensure the board fully backs them.”
Karthik Sees No Alternative to a New Approach
Bangladesh entered the 2023 ODI World Cup with high hopes but won just two out of nine matches, even losing to the Netherlands. Now, after two straight defeats in the Champions Trophy, Karthik believes there is no alternative but to rethink the strategy.
“If you can’t win more than a couple of matches across two major ODI tournaments in two years, then it’s definitely time to plan differently, accept reality, and invest in new players. That’s how a team grows. Sticking with the same players may only lead to the same results.”
Parthiv Names the Core Players for the Future
Parthiv Patel specifically mentioned the players Bangladesh should build their future around. He strongly opposed the idea of recycling the same players who have already failed.
“Towhid Hridoy has impressed everyone. Najmul Hossain Shanto is there as the captain. Zakir Ali and Tanzid Hasan have great potential, though Tanzid needs to play big innings. Taskin Ahmed, Rishad Hossain, Nahid Rana, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz should also be part of the squad.”
“Stop bringing back the same old players. Look ahead. That’s the main issue. When someone is dropped, Soumya Sarkar comes back. If another player is dropped, Liton Das returns. This is not how you build a squad.”
Parthiv further suggested that Bangladesh should promote players from the U-19 and U-23 levels and give them consistent chances rather than falling back on past performers.
“They already have a squad that has played a fair number of ODIs. Give some U-19 or U-23 players a couple of series to see how they develop. You won’t gain anything from Mushfiq or Mahmudullah in the future. Even bringing back Shakib or Liton won’t change anything. Bangladesh should trust new players and give them a long run.”
