Mahmudullah, known for his resolute right-handed batting style, reached the illustrious 5,000 runs milestone during the 16th over of the match. With precision and determination, he expertly maneuvered a single off the bowling of Lockie Ferguson, solidifying his place in Bangladesh’s cricketing history.

Joining an elite club of Bangladeshi cricket legends, Mahmudullah stands shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, and Mushfiqur Rahim, all of whom had previously achieved this remarkable milestone.

The number seven position has posed a challenge for the Bangladesh ODI team in recent times. The recall of Riyad and Soumya Sarkar for the series against New Zealand follows the struggles of Afif Hossain and Shamim Hossain in providing significant contributions with the bat in the lower order.

However, Liton refrained from prescribing specific roles for Riyad and Soumya, emphasizing that the key objective for both players is to score runs whenever the opportunity arises. “I do not want to talk about roles as it would depend on the situation. If we lose wickets early, and then Riyad bhai arrives at the crease with around 30-35 overs left, then he will play like he always does. I don’t really need to specify how he needs to play, as he is mature enough to know the role. The same goes for Soumya. Whichever position they get the chance, they will try to score runs. It is not just about them; every batter’s responsibility is to score runs,” Liton affirmed.

The BCB’s inconsistent selection process highlights a recurring issue: the clamor for experience often arises not due to veteran success but because of the board’s inability to accurately assess the required skillsets for both young and experienced players.

Liton Das (C), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Anamul Haque, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Nurul Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan, Tanzid Hasan, Zakir Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Khaled Ahmed

On Monday, Afif Hossain and Shamim Hossain, two promising young batters, were spotted practicing in the indoor nets at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. Although they were not part of the recent series against Ireland, they actively participated in the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) instead.

Historically, both Afif and Shamim have showcased their skills as finishers for the Bangladesh team. Their presence in the national team’s “pre-series camp” ahead of the Afghanistan series raised the question of why Mahmudullah, an experienced player, was not present.

Another notable addition to the camp was opener Mohammad Naim, who is currently not part of the national team in any format. Naim’s last appearance for the Tigers was in August 2022 during the Asia Cup match against Afghanistan. The camp included a total of 26 cricketers, encompassing those currently part of the national team or in close contention. Surprisingly, Mahmudullah was not included among this substantial selection of players.

During the recent DPL, Mahmudullah batted 15 times in 16 matches, amassing 510 runs at an average of 36.42 and a strike rate of 87.17. These statistics are commendable for a middle-order batsman. However, despite his decent performance, why was he overlooked for the 26-member camp? Does this absence from a crucial training camp in a World Cup year indicate that Mahmudullah’s time in the Bangladesh team is coming to an end?

Further investigation revealed that Mahmudullah had requested leave for the Hajj pilgrimage. His leave is scheduled from 22 June to 5 July, coinciding with the start of the series against Afghanistan. Consequently, it appears unlikely that Mahmudullah will be able to participate in the home series.

“Riyad (Mahmudullah) has requested leave for Hajj. He will be on the Hajj pilgrimage from 22 June to 5 July. After that, he will join the camp. Therefore, he won’t be able to play in the ODI series as the first match is on the 5th,” stated Jalal Yunus, the Chairman of the BCB cricket operations.

Nevertheless, the national team continues to progress without Mahmudullah. Having retired from Test cricket, he now exclusively focuses on white-ball formats. Since the T20 Asia Cup last year, Mahmudullah has not been considered for selection in the shortest format. Additionally, he has been absent from the ODI team since the home series against England in February.

Bangladesh recently played two ODI series against Ireland without Mahmudullah and emerged victorious in both. In his absence, the experienced Mushfiqur Rahim took up the No. 6 batting position and excelled, scoring 286 runs at a strike rate of 120.

Mushfiqur’s outstanding performances at No. 6 provided an opportunity for young talent Towhid Hridoy to shine at No. 5. He made the most of his chances, accumulating 249 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 111.

The brilliant form of Mushfiqur and Towhid has thus far prevented Yasir Ali from securing a spot in the middle order. Additionally, Afif’s impressive performances in the DPL caught everyone’s attention. In 13 innings, he scored 550 runs, including one century and four half-centuries, at a remarkable strike rate of 110.

Considering the current circumstances, Mahmudullah’s return to the national team seems increasingly unlikely. However, there remains hope among many that this seasoned cricketer will feature in the ODI World Cup, scheduled to take place in India later this year.

Prior to the home series against Ireland, Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha had inquired about Mahmudullah’s future plans. In response, Mahmudullah expressed his intention to participate in the World Cup.

Only time will tell if Mahmudullah’s aspirations will be fulfilled.

Mahmudullah Riyad Excluded from Bangladesh’s 26-Member Camp for Afghanistan Series. Bangladesh’s experienced campaigner, Mahmudullah Riyad, has not been included in the 26-member preparatory camp for the upcoming series against Afghanistan at home.

The camp commenced today at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, with assistant coach Nic Pothas overseeing the batting practice session from the beginning.

Team manager Nafees Iqbal informed the media that five of the 26 cricketers, expected to participate in the red and white-ball series against Afghanistan, are yet to join the camp.

Mahmudullah’s omission came as a surprise, considering that Bangladesh ODI captain Tamim Iqbal had previously mentioned Mahmudullah’s consideration for the number seven spot in the batting order, with the 2023 ODI World Cup in mind. The President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), Nazmul Hassan Papon, had also echoed similar sentiments.

Nafees further informed that Mahmudullah, who lost his place in the ODI team after the home series against England in March and subsequently missed two ODI series against Ireland, was present in the country but was not called up for the preparatory camp.

When asked about Mahmudullah’s absence in the camp, Nafees responded, “No, otherwise you would have seen him.”

Following the expected announcement of the squad for the lone Test against Afghanistan scheduled for June 14, the Bangladesh team will intensify their preparations with official training sessions starting from June 4, a day after head coach Chandika Hathurusingha returns to the country.

“One day I will double back all negligence.” Mahmudullah Riyad united with Kabir and gave a strong response to negligence in the last Test match in 2021. On that day, this Bangladeshi cricketer, known as the ‘silent killer’, recognized his caste once again. But now the time for him is “very cruel”!Mahmudullah Riyad once played as an auto choice in Bangladesh cricket. Because the team could blindly trust him. But in the evolution of time, that trust has rusted and created wounds. Mahmudullah himself can heal this wound! But his age has crossed 37 now. Mahmudullah, who caught the eye with the bat at the age of 14, may be taking one step forward and two steps back. However, he is still a ‘symbol of hope’ in the minds of his fans.

Cricket Career
Born in Mymensingh, Mahmudullah came to the capital Dhaka in 2000 to participate in the ACC U-15 tournament. Before that, he played cricket in his hometown. Mahmudullah’s journey in professional cricket started in 2004. At that time, he participated in the U-19 World Cup at home. Mahmudullah made his first-class cricket debut for the Bangladesh ‘A’ team in the following year, i.e. 2005. Mahmudullah became a regular club and first-class cricketer that year. He made his debut in ODI cricket on 25 July 2007 against Sri Lanka in the jersey of the Bangladesh team. The T20 journey started against Kenya on September 1 of that year. Two years later, in 2009, he made his debut in Test cricket against the West Indies.

Glorious times
Mahmudullah has passed 16 years in Bangladesh national team jersey. During this time, he gave the fans a great thrilling time through many breakdowns. A career that started with just 9 runs on their Test debut ended with an unbeaten 150. Mahmudullah has fond memories of both matches. Bangladesh won both. And Mahmudullah made history with the ball in his first test match. He picked up 8 wickets in two innings. In his first ODI in the national team, Mahmudullah scored the second-highest run on a day of team batting failure. Even though Bangladesh did not win that day, Mahmudullah became known as a cricketer.

Meanwhile, even though the opponent was Kenya, he could not do well in his T20 debut. However, the fans forgot the disappointment of that day when the team won. So far, Mahmudullah has scored 9 thousand 986 runs in 389 matches in the jersey of the national team. Among them, he has 8 centuries and 49 half-centuries. He scored 2,122 runs in 121 T20 matches, where he scored the highest unbeaten run of 64 runs against the West Indies. And he took 38 wickets in the short format with the ball. He has 4 thousand 950 runs in 218 matches in ODIs.There are three centuries. The number of wickets is 82. Mahmudullah played 50 Test matches. 2 thousand 914 runs with 5 centuries. Mahmudullah is known for his slow batting in cricket. In the 2011 ODI World Cup against England, the whole cricket world saw the example. In that match, Bangladesh lost 8 wickets for 169 runs in response to 225 runs. However, with a test of patience, Mahmudullah played a role in winning the match that day. Pacer Shafiul Islam played brilliantly with Mahmudullah that day. Besides, in the 2015 World Cup, Mahmudullah became the first Bangladeshi to score a century in a global event. Fans still haven’t forgotten that match against England on March 9 in Adelaide. Innings of 103 runs from 138 balls. Because of this, the English have to face Bangladesh once again. After England, Mahmudullah also scored a century against New Zealand in that World Cup. The ‘silent killer’ scored an unbeaten 128 runs off 123 balls against New Zealand that day. Almost six years ago, Mahmudullah made his mark once again against New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy. In that match of batting failure, he teamed up with Shakib and grabbed the win. He scored an unbeaten 102 off 107 balls.

Conflict in the house
The cricket board and coaching panel’s tussle with Mahmudullah hampered his thrilling career. Mahmudullah, who has been a beacon of hope, has suffered from being out of form and sometimes conflicted. which remains. Dropped from the team, dropped from the captaincy – he has seen it all. Chandika Hathurusinghe is currently in charge of the coach in Bangladesh. When Hathurusinghe left in his first term, several players were rumored to have been treated in a shady manner. Special mention must be made of experienced Mahmudullah Riyad. Hathuru’s adamant character about fielding Riyad broke the hearts of the fans. Later, Mashrafe’s intervention calmed down the situation. The selectors of the party have sometimes made controversial decisions or comments about Mahmudullah. The team against Ireland has been announced recently. Where a few people have got a chance even though they are behind in form than Mahmudullah. Cricket experts are seeing this as a domestic dispute. A few months ago, Minhajul Abedin Nannu said about Mahmudullah, ‘We have full respect for Riyadh. He has given us many good games for the national team. But right now we have a plan. I want to proceed according to this plan for the next year. Although the trajectory is a little different. After such a statement from the selector, many assumed that Mahmudullah may not be seen regularly in the national team jersey. Although he played in the domestic series against England. Still, he has dropped again for the series against Ireland. But it has been seen that some players have been kept in the team, from whom Mahmudullah is still ahead. Many see this as the result of a domestic conflict. But what that conflict is, is not yet clear.

Farewell to Test Cricket
Mahmudullah said goodbye to Test cricket due to the anger of such tension in his career. However, he did not make a mistake to prove his worth by winning the farewell match. Mahmudullah played his last Test match in Harare on July 7, 2021. It was his 50th Test match. Riyad scored an unbeaten 150 runs batting in the first innings of that match.

Missing form and last application
Mahmudullah Riyad was once compared to India’s VVS Laxman. But due to his slow batting, he has been heavily criticized in modern cricket. Mahmudullah Riyad’s position in the national team has been questionable since the middle of last year. That time, the star cricketer was dropped from the team in the series against Ireland. Everyone assumed that the right-handed batsman was dropped from the national team forever. However, the board immediately informed that the decision has been taken to rest the senior cricketer. But there is no need to swear that the formlessness of Riyad is behind the rest. Mahmudullah himself knows this. As much as Mahmudullah has achieved for the national team, there are no fewer failures. But at the end of the day, the carelessness of such an experienced player creates bleeding in the hearts of the fans. This requires special consideration. Maybe this popular player of Bangladesh will rarely be seen in the familiar red-green jersey. But the end should be a relief – such is the expectation of crores of cricket-mad Bengalis.

The time is very untimely! Aging. Along with the clock, raw hair has also caught on. Bat is not listening like before. But what indicates the end of a chapter? Along with this question about Mahmudullah Riyad, there may be another question in the minds of cricket fans. Why was Mahmudullah dirty “last afternoon”?Bangladesh announced the team for the away ODI series against the Irish on Sunday (April 9). Where there was no place for the former captain of the Tigers, Mahmudullah Riyad. Mahmudullah entered the team instead of Hriday batting won everyone’s hearts. Despite not getting a chance in ODI, Rony Talukder, who is waiting, has also done well in T20. As a result, Mahmudullah is almost neglected in the two positions that the selectors are testing for the World Cup. Even if we count the last ten innings in international cricket, Riyad’s performance is average. Even with the two fifties, the strike rate is not at all suitable considering the situation.

As such, Riyadh’s major fault is taking a long time to set the wicket. Where the selection panel is relying on youth. The stage to return to the national team is considered to be the Dhaka Premier League, even there, Riyad’s bat did not smile in Mohammedan’s jersey. His form of getting out, especially against the big teams, was very impressive. However, a question arises. Why will Mahmudullah’s face be dirty on the evening of his career? He has played continuously for the country for the last 17 years. He has put the country in the seat of a hero at different times and has shown dreams to crores of fans. Mahmudullah’s departure why such a secret? Riyad himself cannot avoid responsibility in such a question. Cricketers also need to know when to stop. But in this case, BCB should clarify the issue. If Mahmudullah was not in India’s World Cup plans, it could have been announced long ago. Because everyone has the right to leave with their heads held high.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced the squad for the tour of Ireland. The new face in the announced team is the left-arm pacer, Mritunjoy Chowdhury.

Due to injury, the country’s fast pacer Taskin Ahmed is out. Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam has been returned to the team. However, former national team captain Mahmudullah Riyad, left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed, and star batsman Afif Hossain have been left out. Mahmudullah did not fit in the last England and Ireland series at home. BCB said that Mahmudullah had been rested. For related reasons, the question is raised, through this message to Mahmudullah about his international career at BCB. Chief selector Minhajul Abedin Nannu was asked about this. Nannu spoke to reporters before officially announcing the party in Mirpur, Sher-e-Bangla on Sunday. But when a journalist asked him about Mahmudullah, he left without giving any answer! There was quite a lively discussion among the journalists about this incident. Is the chief selector feeling shy to give a clear message to Mahmudullah?

Mahmudullah Riyad has been dropped from the ODI team. This cricketer is not named in the ODI squad for the upcoming three-match home match against Ireland. But is the career of this experienced all-rounder cricketer ending? Chandika Hathurusinghe, the coach of Bangladesh cricket, has removed the fears of the fans in this regard. The head coach of Tigers said that Mahmudullah’s career is not over. Hathuru represented the team at a press conference ahead of the first ODI match against Ireland on Friday. In response to a question about Mahmudullah’s career there, he said, he did not even give me a chance to explain. Give your own opinion.

I don’t think he’s passed.”What we want to do is to increase our player pool before the World Cup,” he said. If anything happens near the World Cup, there should be enough players we’ve seen or believed to be responsible. To strengthen the pipeline before the World Cup, Haturu hinted that the team management has left out a tested cricketer like Riyad in the team. He said, we want to take that opportunity, there are 15 matches before the World Cup. We are trying to give opportunities to players who can play a role. Mahmudullah is still there.

Hathuru said that it is a very difficult question to answer when asked what is the possibility of Riyad returning if they play well. Because you want to find out what we think about Mahmudullah. Mahmudullah has done many things and has experience. We know what he can offer. We want other players to get a taste of international cricket. It’s not about skill, it’s about the character of these guys. This does not mean that Mahmudullah is finished if someone does well, there are still plenty of matches left.