CHATTOGRAM, Jan 18, 2025 (BSS)—Former England International cricketer Dawid Malan expressed his gratitude to Bangladesh cricket to shape his career, saying that without playing here, he wouldn’t have been the player what he is today.

"You know, I played in the DPL (Dhaka Premier League) years ago, and it feels like 11–12 years now since that happened. I always find my way back here,” Malan told the reporters here today.

“I'm always, forever grateful for the BPL, the DPL, and Bangladesh cricket for helping my development by allowing me to play in these leagues. Without it, I would not have been the player I am today. Being back in Bangladesh cricket is always a pleasure.”

Malan is recruited by BPL franchise Fortune Barishal to play the tournament in this season. In his first appearance against Dhaka Capital, he made 41ball-49 to lead the side to an eight-wicket victory on Thursday.

The former England start who was once the ranked No. 1 T20 batter in ICC rankings praised his teammate Rishad Hossain, a leg spinner whom he termed as an asset for Bangladesh.
Rishad shot into the limelight during the T20 World Cup last year by scalping 14 wickets and ended the year with 35 wickets, highest by any Bangladeshi bowler in T20 format in a calendar year.

When Bangladesh always found it tough to produce a quality leg spinner, Rishad’s arrival was like a fresh breath of air, considering that this type of bowler could turn the game on any wicket.

Malan believes that the young bowler has the potential to be a decisive force in white-ball cricket.

"He looks fantastic. I think it's really encouraging that Bangladesh have a leg-spinner. Look at the top international teams -- they all have leg-spinners," he said.

Rishad was recruited to play the Australian Big Bash league but due to his commitment with Fortune Barishal, he couldn’t play the tournament that coincides with the BPL. Rishad has recently been roped in by Peshwar Zalmi to play in Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Malan said Rishad should play all domestic T20 leagues around the world to hone his skill more.

"They are so tough to play. If you have one, they are able to win you games in white-ball cricket. The challenge is to get him to play as much as you can. The more competitions he can play, the more developed he gets,” he said.

“He (Rishad) should play every single league possible, because it's the only way to get better and improve... He is tall, turns the ball both ways, he has got a lot of skills, and he can bat as well.”