Agency :
The buzz spread on social media at the end of the third day of the Harare Test, that Mahmudullah will retire from Test cricket after the ongoing one. He told his teammates in the dressing room on the third day of the Test on Friday. But none of the team confirmed the truth of the incident.
BCB President Nazmul Hassan is also confused by such news about Mahmudullah. But Mahmudullah’s words have a hint of something like this in the dressing room. “No one officially told me anything. But one called to say that he (Mahmudullah) did not want to play Tests after the ongoing Test. He told everyone in the dressing room. But I found it very unusual. The game is not over yet,” BCB President Nazmul Hassan said on Friday.
For Nazmul Hassan, it seems unusual, because Mahmudullah has written to the BCB (Bangladesh Cricket Board) before visiting Zimbabwe, that he wants to play in all three editions of the game. Nazmul Hassan said, “We have written to all of them this time about the format they want to play in the future. It was taken four or five days before leaving for Zimbabwe. Riyad (Mahmudullah) had written that he wants to play in all three formats if he gets a chance. That’s why he was included in the Test team.”
Responding to another question, the BCB president said, “I called him twice at my house and asked him and he confirmed to me that he wanted to play Tests. I asked him, will you bowl if necessary? He said he would do that too. He’s talking about retirement now, that’s why I’m absolutely surprised.” BCB President said.
If Mahmudullah really said such a thing in the dressing room, Nazmul Hasan commented that it was “unacceptable”, “I think he may have said it emotionally. Otherwise, he is not supposed to say so in tests after writing to the board. If he did it in the middle of the Test, it would put a very negative impact on the players. This is totally unacceptable.”
