Mahmudullah
Mahmudullah – Professional Bangladesh All-Rounder
Mohammad Mahmudullah (Mohammad Mahmudullah Riyadh) was born on February 4, 1986 in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. One of the key players of the national team, leading it in the T20I competitions, and the first representative of Bangladesh to complete a hundred in the World Cup. He acts as a batsman – all-rounder.
Mohammad Mahmudullah: domestic career
Mahmudulla revealed himself as a gifted player quite early: he received his first call to the Bangladesh national team for performances in ODI back in 2007, and after a super successful home season 2008-2009, in which he showed the second result in wounds (710), he soon became a base player. In July 2009, Mohammad made his debut in test matches against the West Indies team, not showing decent results in runs, but taking eight wickets, which brought his team a victory.
After establishing the Premier League, Bangladesh joined the Chittagong Kings in 2012 for over $ 100K. Over the years of active performances, Mahmudullah also managed to play in Pakistan and the Caribbean Premier League. He became the most expensive acquisition of the Dhaka Premier League in 2017.
At various times he played for the Khulna Titans and Chattogram Challengers, and in the 2020-2021 season, he led the Gemcon Khulna to victory in the Bangabandhu T20 Cup. In April 2021, he signed a contract with the Pakistani team Multan Sultans.
In total, there are about ten T20 teams in the track record of the famous all-round:
- the Dhaka Division (since 2004);
- the Chittagong Kings (2012-2013);
- the Basnahira Cricket Dundee (2012);
- the Barisal Bulls (2015);
- the Khulna Titans (2016-2019);
- the Chattogram Challengers (since 2019);
- the Quetta Gladiators (2017-2018);
- the Jamaica Tallawahs (2017);
- the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots (since 2018).
Mahmudullah: performances at the international level
Despite early success, Mahmudullah did not immediately gain a foothold in the test team in Bangladesh, as breeders doubted his stability. He got into the main application for the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup , and in the fall of the same year, he was appointed vice-captain (previously held by Tamim Iqbal). Unfortunately, the player missed the starting part of the rally due to viral fever but was able to return to matches against Pakistan, completing 56 runs in the first game.
One of the most iconic seasons in Mahmudullah’s international career was 2015. He played a brilliant match against England in March, becoming the first batsman from Bangladesh to land 100 in the ICC Cricket World Cup. The national team made it to the quarterfinals, where Mahmudullah again recorded a hundred, although the Bangladeshi did not manage to go further. Mahmudulla completed 365 runs for the entire draw with an average of 73.00 and was included in the list of the most effective players in the tournament.
At the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, Mahmudulla improved his performance, again placing a hundred in the decisive match against New Zealand, where the fate of a ticket to the quarterfinals was being decided. It is noteworthy that in this game, the Mahmudullah – Shakib Al Hasan link was revealed from a new side (the players performed 224 wounds for two).
January 2018 became a new milestone in Mahmudullah’s career. After the permanent captain of the Bangladesh test team, Shakib Al Hasan, was injured, they urgently began to look for a replacement for the matches against Sri Lanka. The choice fell on Mahmudulla, who later replaced his older friend at the T20I competition. Despite the excellent statistics of the national team in the Tri-nation Series, the Bangladeshi did not manage to defeat Sri Lanka, but the balance of power changed at the Nidahas Trophy. In the hardest semi-final confrontation, they won, completing 200 runs, 43 of which fell on the lot of Mahmudullah.
In April of the same year, the player and nine teammates received an official contract from the Bangladesh Cricket Board. It was assumed that Mohammad would lead the national team in the next matches, but soon Shakib Al Hasan returned to the field, who easily won back the previous positions.
In the following season, Mahmudullah’s statistics in test events deteriorated slightly, so BCB suggested that he focus on the limited overs format. This made the player think about improving his bowler skills:
I intend to return as a bowler. When the team needs me, I will do my best to perform as best as possible. I trained extra, and it helped a lot. I feel that my form is better now than ever, and I try to maintain it as best I can – I run and train in the gym, keeping balance.
Mahmudullah has several important records on his account:
- He is the first batsman from Bangladesh to hit 100 in the Cricket World Cup;
- He also became the first representative of Bangladesh in this position, recorded two hundred in a row at the World Cup;
- Mohammad is the second cricketer in history after New Zealand’s John Richard Reid to score a triplet in test events.
Mahmudullah: interesting facts
- Mahmudulla’s nickname – “Quiet killer”;
- In 2011, Mahmudullah married Jannatul Kawsar Mishti. The couple have two sons;
- Mushfiqur Rahim – brother-in-law of Mohammad, he is married to the younger sister of his wife Mondi;
- Mahmudullah has partnered with the United States Agency for International Development to raise awareness on the Internet about empowering young people in Bangladesh, improving education and tackling gender-based violence.
