Dressing room rift during World Cup was blown out of proportion, says Mahmudullah

08/19/2019

Bangladesh all-rounder Mahmudullah reckons the news of a dressing room rift during the World Cup was blown out of proportion and could’ve been presented differently by the media. Mahmudullah also gave an update on his fitness ahead of the Test and T20 home series against Afghanistan.

Amidst a disappointing World Cup campaign for him, and his team, reports of a clash between the all-rounder and some of his teammates, especially Shakib Al Hasan, had surfaced. However, Mahmudullah rubbished the reports by saying it never happened.

"I think it is better not to talk about those things. The only thing I can say is that some of the things did not happen the way it was presented and it could have been presented in a different way. I just want to say this much. I don't think I had a clash with anyone in the team and we are very good friends," Mahmudullah was quoted saying by Cricbuzz.

"You can come into the dressing room and see how we talk and make fun among us from juniors to seniors. I am trying my hundred percent so that I can stay happy with my teammates and want to do the same in future," he said.

With all that in the past, Bangladesh look forward to hosting Afghanistan in a one-off Test, with a T20I tri-series involving Zimbabwe to follow. The Bangladesh Cricket Board are optimistic of having their senior all-rounder back in the mix for the matches.

"I am one hundred percent fit. My shoulder range is also better than before, our physio our and Dr Debashish Da reported that. Every day is a new beginning. During the break, I always thought about when I'd return to the field. And during the break, you get to think where you made mistakes where you are lacking and that will help you come back refreshed. And I think there is no alternate of hard work. The more you work hard, you are going to get a better result. I'm refreshed and I am going to work harder than ever," he said.

Bangladesh’s line-up is set to be flooded with a lot of talented youngsters from the U-19 setup and beyond, thanks to the new head coach Russell Domingo.

"I am taking it [the competition] very positively. Saif, Afif, they are performing really well at the domestic level. They all are very talented and exciting players. We always welcome healthy competition because without that we won't have any progress. So I always enjoy healthy competition, and that is good for us," he said.

"And I think it's an open challenge now, because the preliminary squad has just been announced, not the final team. So everyone will try to give their best physically. There will be a physical test soon,” Mahmudullah added.

The 35-member preliminary squad will start their preparation camp for the upcoming series at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium from August 19.