Mahmudullah wants to forget WC nightmare

Bangladesh T20I captain Mahmudullah Riyad wants to forget the World Cup nightmare and move on as he is fortunate enough to lead the Tigers in one more series after a pathetic display throughout the showcase event.

As the Bangladesh Cricket Board is looking for a fresh start after the forgettable T20 World Cup, Mahmudullah is unwilling to look back to those horrid memories.

“I don’t really want to talk about the World Cup. We are focusing on these three matches. Our main focus is how much we can contribute throughout the series as a team and as individuals. Because if we keep thinking about what happened in the past, that could bring negative effects. We are trying to stay positive,” said the T20 captain of Bangladesh.

Besides his poor batting performance, Mahmudullah faced criticism for his poor decision-making on the field and his choice of words during the press conferences, which sparked controversies.

Though the selectors have axed some of the cricketers from the World Cup squad, Mahmudullah has held on to captaincy and is the last surviving member of the “famous five” in the shortest format.

As another T20 World Cup is less than a year away, BCB is bringing in some changes to the team, and Mahmudullah might not be the man to bear the mantle in Australia as he was found clueless about dropping Mushfiqur Rahim.

“This is entirely the decision of the team management. I don’t want to tell you anything about it. I can only say that I am going to miss Mushfiq,” he said.

Mushfiq, in an interview, told the media that he was dropped from the team, but the chief selector Minhajul Abedin told the media on Tuesday that he had been rested ahead of the upcoming Test matches.

Mahmudullah, while speaking in the pre-match press conference, said that he knows nothing about Mushfiq, who is not only his long-time teammate but also his brother-in-law.

“Actually, I don’t know what he has said. Let me see, and then I can say something,” he said.

Liton Das and Soumya Sarkar were snubbed after the T20 World Cup, and a few new cricketers were called up for this series. Mahmudullah believes that it will be a new challenge for him.

“It’s a young team, so it’s a challenge for us, but not huge pressure. I believe T20 is a game where your plans can work out if you have the right eleven and a good wicket. I think the wicket is good. I think it is an opportunity for us to play better cricket and prove ourselves,” he said on Thursday.

Saif Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto have been called up as replacements for Soumya and Liton. But the scenario looks hardly promising as in-form Shaheen Shah Afridi is a threat for the top-order, which Mahmudullah also admits.

“Obviously, Shaheen Shah Afridi is making a huge impact with the new ball. We have that in our mind and did some analysis,” he told the media.

“Shanto has been a good performer in the domestic cricket. He has two hundred in T20s. He has huge potential. It will be exciting to see Saif in this format as he is also a talented player. He can handle any bowler,” Mahmudullah added.