Mahmudullah highlights lack of respect between board and players
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Mahmudullah Riyad's decision to retire from Test cricket in the middle of the Harare Test remained the talking point despite the Tigers heading towards a maiden series win in Zimbabwe after the fourth day's play yesterday.
Mahmudullah informed his teammates of his decision during a team meeting on Friday and although the announcement of his retirement was not officially confirmed, a few of the Bangladesh Cricket Board officials criticised Mahmudullah for revealing his intentions in the middle of a Test match, which may affect the team's performance.
"I think it's unfortunate that an experienced player like Mahmudullah made such an announcement to his teammates in the middle of a Test match, which can have a negative impact on the team. I think relaxed disciplinary protocols caused such an incident and I think we should be stricter towards disciplinary issues in the coming days," said a board official, requesting anonymity.
As much as the BCB officials are trying to foster discipline among players, it is also important that the selection process also be disciplined, which has not been the case in recent times.
Mahmudullah's sudden inclusion in the Test team after 16 months raised questions about a lack of clarity in the selection process. When Mahmudullah was dropped after the Pakistan Test back in 2020, the message from the team management was that they did not view him as fit for the Test side. They even asked the experienced campaigner to focus on white-ball formats.
However, chief selector Minhajul Abedin denies the fact that the selectors ruled out Mahmudullah's potential as a Test player.
"The selectors have never said that Mahmudullah is not in our plan. He is a contracted player and hasn't retired from Test format and obviously he is still in our future plans. I came to hear news of his retirement from the media but nothing has come formally yet," Minhajul said.
On the other hand, prominent coach Nazmul Abedin Fahim feels that Mahmudullah's decision was taken out of frustration but there are a few other aspects to consider as well.
"No doubt his decision came out of sheer frustration but you should also understand in which situation a player makes such a decision. Obviously, it's unfortunate as the decision came in the middle of a Test match. But I also feel that dressing room is a sacred place where all the members of the team are a family," said Fahim.
The mentor to Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim and many others also pointed out the importance of having mutual respect between the board and players or else such incidents may continue.
"I think cricket is all about having mutual respect. Mahmudullah is an experienced player and the message that was given to him 16 months back over his inability to play in the Test format might have hurt him badly.
"I think in this case Mahmudullah deserved that respect and even if the team does not see his future in Test format, the process to inform him could have been better rather just dismissing his ability as a player. Even Shakib may not be in future plans in the coming days and it is normal, but it has to come through a proper process. I think the atmosphere is not right in the team due to a lack of respect and such incidents reflect that there might be dissatisfaction among a few other players in the team as well," he added.
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