The discussion about Mahmudullah’s batting position in the Bangladesh cricket team started during the ICC Cricket World Cup. After a century against South Africa at number 6, the debate gained momentum. However, Mahmudullah played at number 7 in the match against the Netherlands yesterday.
Former Pakistan fast bowler Waqar Younis has suggested that Bangladesh’s team management should consider moving Mahmudullah up the batting order. He said, “Please play Mahmudullah higher up the order. When your middle order is failing, play your main batsman at four or five. I don’t know what the team management is thinking. If you lose three wickets early, you can send Mahmudullah in one end.”
Bangladesh lost to the Netherlands by 87 runs in their previous match. They were chasing a target of 230 runs and were all out for 142.
When Mahmudullah comes to the crease, Bangladesh often finds themselves at 69 for 5. This means that Bangladesh’s chances of winning are often hanging by a thread when he walks in. Although Mahmudullah scored 20 runs yesterday, there are still questions surrounding his batting order in the Bangladesh team.
Not only Mahmudullah, but Shakib Al Hasan also raised questions about various issues in Bangladesh cricket. The matter of leaving out Tamim Iqbal from the World Cup squad and Shakib’s interview regarding Tamim had sparked a debate.
Akram believes that, when it comes to the World Cup squad, the country’s interest should come before personal preferences. He said, “Bangladesh has been playing Test cricket for more than 20 years. They haven’t been able to perform consistently. I’ve heard a lot of problems before coming to the World Cup. I don’t know what’s behind it. The country should come first for everyone. Personal preferences should come later.”
Akram further added, “I’m not saying they shouldn’t win the World Cup. But they should at least fight hard against the big teams. They need to find new batsmen. Everyone should sit down and decide how to improve the quality of cricket and which wicket to play on.”
In summary, the discussion about Mahmudullah’s batting position and various issues in Bangladesh cricket have been ongoing, with former cricketers like Waqar Younis and Shakib Al Hasan offering their opinions on how the team can improve its performance in international competitions, particularly in the World Cup.
