Mahmudullah's Test retirement rumour puts BCB in shock

Bangladesh all-rounder Mahmudullah made a stir in the cricketing fraternity of the country after his intention to quit Test cricket was leaked in the media.

On Friday night, news broke out that the middle order batsman cum off-spinner is mulling to retire from the longest version of the game following the ongoing Test against hosts Zimbabwe taking place at Harare Sports Club.

The 35-year-old has made the revelation to the team following day three’s play of the Harare Test. Dhaka Tribune through multiple sources close to the team has confirmed of the incident.

The decision from Mahmudullah came as a shock given he had just returned to the format all guns blazing. The right-handed batsman, who was dropped from Bangladesh Test fold due to below-par performance, made a fiery return in the format after around 17 months scoring an unbeaten 150 runs to pull Bangladesh out of a batting misery in the ongoing Test against Zimbabwe.

@BCBtigers looked to build an imposing lead over @ZimCricketv with two days remaining as they were 45 without loss in their second innings at stumps on the third day of their one-off test at Harare Sports Club Friday.https://t.co/r6Ft93CxGJ

— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) July 9, 2021

The performance involved a record 191-run partnership for the ninth wicket with Taskin Ahmed. The duo was four runs short of a 23-year-old world record of 195 runs between South Africa's Mark Boucher and Pat Symcox that was established during a Test against Pakistan in 1998.

There is a wide rumor that Mahmudullah’s decision was driven by emotion for having been overlooked in the format by the selection panel. Mahmudullah before the Zimbabwe Test , played his last one in January 2020, against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, and was subsequently left out of the series against Zimbabwe last year and against West Indies and Sri Lanka this year. He was also among a handful of cricketers to be given a white-ball-only central contract in 2020.

Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan speaking to a leading newspaper of the country said he was informed of Mahmudullah’s decision which he shared in the dressing room. The BCB chief however could not understand Mahmudullah’s choice given the cricketer had informed the board of playing all three formats of cricket for Bangladesh in the recently signed central contract.

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“We took in writing from everyone about who wants to play in which format. We did it four or five days before they left for Zimbabwe. [Mahmudullah] Riad mentioned that he wants to play in all three formats. He said that if he is given the chance, he would like to play Tests and that's why he was included in the [Test] squad [against Zimbabwe],” BCB president Nazmul Hassan was quoted as saying in the report.

Mahmudullah made his Test debut in 2009 during Bangladesh’s tour of West Indies. The right-handed batsman in 50 matches and 94 innings has scored 2914 runs at an average of 33.49. The 150 not out in the ongoing Test against Zimbabwe is the highest innings in his career that is adorned with five centuries and 16 half-centuriso far.

Bangladesh may not enjoy a respectable position in global football but the love for the game in this part of the world is very much known and sometimes it creates mayhem and pandemonium that creates global headlines.https://t.co/n3SykGIs33

— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) July 9, 2021

He is yet to bat in the second innings for Bangladesh in the Harare Test against Zimbabawe.

With the bowl, the occasional off-spinner has picked 43 wickets in 65 innings with best figure of five for 51 against West Indies.

Mahmudullah in a video message to the media on Friday spoke of his performance in the first innings with the bat but did not say anything regarding his intention of retirement.