Mahmudullah decides to bid adieu to Test cricket

Onecricket

Bangladesh batsman Mahmudullah has decided to hang his boots from Test cricket after the conclusion of the on-going one-off Test against Zimbabwe. The right-handed batsman’s decision who scored 150 in the first innings against Zimbabwe has come as a “shock” to his teammates and the team management. 

"Yes, he (Mahmudullah) had informed me that he does not want to prolong his Test career after this game. But he did not inform us anything officially and we have to see whether it's an emotional outburst or not," a top-ranked official of BCB confirmed to Cricbuzz on request of anonymity on Friday.

BCB president Nazmul Hasan said that he found this pretty “unusual” especially after Mahmudullah had agreed to play all the formats earlier. 

"No one officially told me anything. But one called me and informed me that he (Mahmudullah) doesn't want to play Tests after the ongoing Test and he told that to everyone in the dressing room. But I found it very unusual. The game is not over yet," Nazmul was quoted in leading Bangladesh Daily Prothom Alo on Friday.

Sources close to OneCricket have confirmed that he had decided to bid adieu to the format after scoring the ton and had informed the same to the management and his teammates during a team meeting on Day 3. But the BCB had requested Mahmudullah to reconsider his decision. 

Mahmudullah has played 49 Tests for Bangladesh and has notched up over 2700 runs at an average of 31.8. Bangladesh are presently playing Zimbabwe in the only Test in Harare. 

Earlier, the visitors rode on some fine piece of batting from Mahmudullah to post 468 on the board in the first innings and then bundled out the home side for 276, courtesy a fifer from Mehidy Hasan and a four-wicket haul from Shakib to take the first innings lead. 

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BAN vs ZIM | Day 3 - Hosts seize control after Zimbabwe collapse courtesy Shakib, Mehidy

The visiting Zimbabwe were put on the mat by the home team Bangladesh as they managed to eke out a huge lead after skittling them out for just 276 runs from a position of relative strength. The spin duo of Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan wreaked havoc in the second and the third session as Zimbabwe surrendered a comfortable position and ended the day’s play firmly on the backfoot. Coming out to bat in the second innings, Bangladesh didn’t lose a wicket in the 17 overs they faced scoring 45 runs. Both the openers Shadman Islam and Saif Hasan looked in control and will try to stretch the lead of 237 runs and set Zimbabwe a daunting 4th innings target. Zimbabwe had ended the 2nd day’s play comfortably placed at 141/1 in reply to Bangladesh 468 in the first innings on the back of a stupendous batting performance by Mahmudullah and Taskin Ahmed. Takudzwanashe Kaitano and Brendan Taylor began proceedings for the day and looked in complete command. Taylor looked in phenomenal touch during his 92 balls 81 and struck 12 fours and six during his classy innings before being deceived by Mehidy Hasan. Kaitano and Dion Myers started to rebuild and played every ball on it’s merit. After sharing a 49 runs, Myers was dismissed and that led to the collapse which Zimbabwe never recovered from. Mehidy Hasan and Shakib Al Hasan spun a web around the lower middle order and the lower order and didn’t allow them to settle in. From 224/2 at one stage, Zimbabwe kept losing wickets at regular intervals and were eventually bowled out for 276, handling Bangladesh a huge lead of 192 runs. While Mehidy bagged another fifer, Shakib finished with four.