What does the future hold for Mahmudullah?

Amidst all the drama surrounding the sensational row between Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal, one thing that mostly got overlooked is what the BCB president Nazmul Hasan Papon had to say about another certain player in his interview with Cricbuzz last month. 

The said player is none other than Mahmudullah Riyad, one of the Fab Five of Bangladesh cricket's golden era. If the BCB boss's words were anything to go by, the board higher-ups had been anticipating the end of the "silent killer" for quite some time now.

In that interview, Nazmul stopped short of saying that he was expecting Mahmudullah to call time on his career, as he blatantly recalled the time when he had asked the all-rounder about halving any retirement plan, before also adding that "I know he will not let me know."

Then Nazmul further went on to say that they could arrange a farewell series or something like that for Mahmudullah, resembling the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Lasith Malinga, provided he made his plans known to them beforehand. 

Just like that, the BCB chief sent out a message to Mahmudullah, or perhaps, wanted to put pressure on the player with the help of the media, to take a decision. 
All things said and done, the bottom line was that: Mahmudullah is not in the Bangladesh team's future plans for the long run, irrespective of what his own plans are.

And then the three-match ODI series against England followed, where the hosts not only succumbed to an 1-2 defeat but also saw yet another abysmal showing from the 37-year-old cricketer. 

With the bat in hand in the series, Mahmudullah amassed 71 runs across three innings, but more notably, with a strike rate of 67 alongside his dot percentage being 56.6. His batting approach was one of the key reasons why many questioned the intent of the Bangladesh side in the first two ODIs, in which they lost by 3 wickets and 132 runs, respectively. 

Meanwhile, another thing that we learnt from Nazmul's much-talked-about interview was that the reappointed coach Chandika Hathurusingha's "only priority" would be fielding.

"At one stage there should be a cutoff point - either you improve your fielding or you will be dropped," was exactly what the BCB boss said. 

Needless to say, in spite of being one of the best fielders of the squad at his prime, Mahmudullah's shaky fielding has been a major cause of concern in recent years. It has reached a boiling point when it almost looks like the captain is looking to hide him in the field.

If such aspects of his on-field performance were not enough to cast doubt on Mahmudullah's future in national colours, his recent exclusion from the impending three-match ODI series against Ireland certainly will. 

The chief selector Minhajul Abedin Nannu might have said that the Mymensingh-born cricketer was being "rested" with a view to experimenting a bit in some positions, but questions still loom large. 

That Bangladesh are not really taking Ireland lightly is quite rightfully evident thanks to the presence of other three active seniors - Shakib, Tamim and Mushfiqur Rahim in the 16-man squad. It is only Mahmudullah who had to be given rest for the sake of some experimentation.

So, with BCB's attitude towards Mahmudullah already clear, it will be interesting to see in the coming months if the seasoned campaigner can make a good comeback and - instead of becoming a burden - end up being a key member of Bangladesh 50-over side for the ICC World Cup 2023 in India later this year. 

If Mahmudullah somehow fails to do so, the grandest stage of them all may not lay a platform for him to bid adieu to his career, gracefully, on his own terms.