Mahmudullah fails to impress in practice game

Bangladesh batter Mahmudullah Riyad scored a 39-ball 26 in a practice match between Bangladesh Tigers and a team comprising of players from the Asian Games squad at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Thursday.  

Playing for Bangladesh Tigers, 37-year-old Mahmudullah, put away two boundaries in his 26-run-knock before he skied one to mid-wicket off the bowling off leg-spinner Rishad Hossain in the 32nd over while chasing a target of 273 set by the Asian Games Squad..

Bangladesh Tigers won the match by four wickets, courtesy of fifties from Nurul Hasan Sohan and Mominul Haque. Soumya Sarker also scored a 46-ball 40 at the top of the order.

Mahmudullah's potential inclusion into the World Cup squad has been a major talking point in recent weeks. The right-handed batter has been in close vicinity of the national team and has been seen training regularly in a bid to make the World Cup squad.

Before that, however, Bangladesh will play a white-ball series against New Zealand at home where Mahmudullah might make a comeback to the national fold. 

Mahmudullah being dropped from the national team was disguised to be a regulation case of a player given time off for rest but he has been snubbed ever since being left out following the home series against England in March earlier this year.

With relatively younger options, who've been roped in instead of Mahmudullah, not being able to deliver anything of substance, talks about the 37-year-old's inclusion have intensified.