Bangladesh's veteran all-rounder saved his side from their biggest World Cup defeat on October 24. Mahmudullah fought the lone battle with his record third World Cup ton to delay the inevitable and prevent Bangladesh’s net run rate (NRR) from taking a massive hit. There has been criticism of team management for keeping Mahmudullah down the batting order despite the top four struggling to make an impact.
Before the World Cup, he was often rested by the national selection panel. Mahmudullah was a last-minute exclusion from the World Cup squad after Tamim Iqbal was ruled out amidst controversy. Against South Africa, he was promoted to no.6 and he responded by scoring a run-a-ball 11 to help Bangladesh post 233 after losing half the side for 58.
"I can't say anything regarding that time (when I was out of the national team). I do want to talk about a lot of things but this is not the right time to talk about," Mahmudullah said after the game. "I don't know. Probably Allah has given me the strength to keep going. I tried to keep my fitness in shape. I kept working hard. That's all I can do. All I can say is that, I wanted to contribute to the team. I would have liked to contribute more so that we win the game.
"I think there was a little too much rest for me. It was not in my control. It was the decision of the team management. If I can do my job honestly, it is good enough for me and the team," he said.
Mahmudullah played down batting down the order in the World Cup while his team struggled to put up a big score or chase down one. "I have seen a lot of ups and downs throughout my career. (Batting down the order) is fine," he said.
"Yesterday, coach told me that I was batting at No 6. I went out there and played my game. I didn't target my hundred. I was just batting. You just bat. I told Mustafiz to hold on. Let us stay for 50 overs as there's an issue for run-rate. I just wanted to go deep, and try to score some runs for the team," he said, adding that he wanted to dedicate this century to his family while thanking everyone who supported and opposed him during this critical juncture of his career.
"I would like to dedicate it to my family and those people who supported and prayed for me in the last three months. I want to thank those among you who supported me, and those who didn't support me."
After a 149-run loss, Bangladesh slipped to the bottom of the table. The Shakib Al Hasan-led side will take on the Netherlands at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on October 28.
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