‘A lot of things need to be achieved’

After suddenly retiring from Test cricket in the middle of a match in Zimbabwe, Mahmudullah Riyad appeared a man on a mission over the following three series, which culminated in him becoming Bangladesh's most successful T20I captain. The 35-year-old will be aiming to script more history under his leadership in the upcoming T20 World Cup and he spoke about his plans and other topics during an interview with The Daily Star's Mazhar Uddin. The excerpts are below:

The Daily Star (DS): You have been having the time of your life as captain. Do you believe there is a good balance of youth and experience heading into your maiden T20 World Cup as a captain?

Mahmudullah Riyad (MR): Alhamdulillah I am enjoying my captaincy and the matter of fact is that I always enjoy this role. I think this is as a positive challenge for me and I like taking on such challenges. At the same time, our team is in very good shape after winning a few good series recently. All credit goes to the team because when the team does well, it becomes easy for the captain. More importantly, the bond between the players and the mentality of helping each other and appreciating each other is a very good sign. We had something to prove, especially in the T20 format, and I hope the boys are looking forward to the World Cup and looking forward to doing well.

DS: Winning the last three T20I series must have boosted the team's morale. Realistically, what are Bangladesh's chances at the upcoming T20 World Cup?

MR: I think a lot of things need to be achieved as a team at this World Cup. The most important thing is to let the world know that we are becoming a good side in this format. I hope we can deliver some good results. As captain, I expect teammates and the team management to also want to achieve some memorable wins that will help us to move forward as a team.

DS: Openers normally tend to utilise the Powerplay in T20 cricket. Will that trend hold true for Bangladesh's openers at the World Cup?

MR: The openers obviously know their role in using the Powerplay to maximise our score. We have had to adjust at times and take some time initially, but if the wicket is batting-friendly and the conditions favour batters, I think our openers will have a good time in the middle.

DS: There has been a lot of talk about the pitches at home recently. How crucial will it be for Bangladesh to adapt to the pitches at the World Cup?

MR: There will be different opinions when it comes to the pitches but it was very important for Bangladesh to win games and to win series as well. It is also important to have that winning habit. It was important for me and also for the team management. Having said that, we still don't know what's waiting for us at the World Cup. We don't know if it's going to be sporting wickets or whether the pitch will slow down. You never know. So it's important to have that adaptability and to be able to identify the conditions. That can dictate what sort of score would be good enough for a particular pitch or how to bowl on a different track. It will be important to quickly identify the pitch and conditions to get results.

DS: As a batsman, you have been in fine form. Are you thinking of promoting yourself up the batting order at the World Cup?

MR: I have been feeling really well with the bat in the last few series and I hope that I will be able to contribute to my team in the coming days as well. The batting order depends on the requirements of the situation. If the situation requires me to, then why not promote myself up the order?

DS: Is the batting department still an area of concern?

MR: Not really. Once, we start to score runs, our batting unit will grow in confidence and hopefully that will reflect on our batting.

DS: The bowling department has been gaining confidence, but how challenging is it going to be for your bowlers considering the sporting pitches at the World Cup?

MR: It will be challenging for any bowling unit to play in batting-friendly conditions. It depends on how you apply yourself and how you use your variations on that particular day. Our bowling unit has been doing really well and I hope they will deliver their best bowling spells at the World Cup. I am confident of my bowling unit.

DS: After retiring from Tests and not speaking a word about the issue to the media, is Mahmudullah a man on a mission now?

MR: (Smiles) That's my answer.