“Riyad (Mahmudullah) has told us that he is going to Mecca to perform Hajj between June 22 and July 5, after which he will rejoin the Bangladesh camp. He can’t play the ODIs as the opening game of the series is scheduled on July 5,” Jalal Yunus, BCB’s Cricket Operation Chairman, told reporters on Monday.
While Mahmudullah has retired from Test cricket, he has not been considered for T20Is or ODIs in a long time.
Mahmudullah’s decision to withdraw from BAN vs AFG series may impact his chances at the ODI World Cup
Mahmudullah’s decision to withdraw from the ODI series against Afghanistan could be a major setback for his chances of making the World Cup squad, given that the hosts will want to complete all of their experiments in this series before announcing the squad for the Asia Cup, which is expected to be retained in the World Cup as well.
According to reports, Mahmudullah met with Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, who asked him about his plans, to which Mahmudullah said that he still hopes to participate in the World Cup. Mahmudullah’s name has recently come up in conversation as Bangladesh is approaching the completion of their World Cup team after doing Tests in the past.
Currently, Mushfiqur Rahim bats at number six, where Mahmudullah formerly batted, while Bangladesh chose Mehidy Hasan Miraz to bat at number seven, a position many feel Mahmudullah can occupy in the future despite the fact that there are many contenders in that position.
The Bangladesh team administration has often stated that Mahmudullah is still very much in their plans, and a source verified that he will be included in the 24-member preliminary squad for the Afghanistan series.
If he is unable to play in the ODIs against Afghanistan, his chances of being included in the team for the Asia Cup, which is projected to remain intact in the World Cup, are limited.
