Agencies
Bangladesh Test discard Mahmudullah looked determined to continue his endeavor of fulfilling all the requirements to make a comeback in Tests as he started bowling after a while in the national nets at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
According to BCB insiders the right-handed batsman was very much in contention to make the cut during the tour of Sri Lanka after Shakib made him unavailable to take part in the IPL.
"Yes, his (Mahmudullah) name was discussed quite a few times before finalizing the 21-member squad for the Sri Lanka tour but the problem is that you cannot carry such a senior player and make him sit in the bench," a member close to the development told Cricbuzz.
Bangladesh called back Shuvagato Hom in the 21-member squad that travelled to Sri Lanka after a gap of five years and though he failed to make the cut in the Test squad one of the basic criterion of his inclusion was that he can bowl few overs and bat down the order, a thing Mahmudullah was doing in white ball for years before being left in wilderness.
So, it was a pleasant surprise to see Mahmudullah bowling in full rhythm in the nets with fellow members of the 21-member ODI squad for the upcoming three-match series against Sri Lanka, scheduled from May 23.
''I am doing fine (there is no pain),'' Mahmudullah told Cricbuzz on Monday when his attention was drawn regarding the back pain while returning back to the dressing room after completing his half-an-hour bowling session.
In a similar situation earlier in his career, Mahmudullah tried to bowl with a different action but that was not the case this time round as he managed to bowl in the same manner like the way he used to and at times troubled the batsmen with his variations.
BCB chief physician Debashish Chowdhury said that the all-rounder is the best person to judge whether he can bowl or not.
''Look he had completed a rehabilitation program before going to New Zealand but he didn't bowl there. We feel he is the best person to judge whether he can bowl or not how he wants to manage it (back pain). If he doesn't feel any pain he can always bowl,'' said Debashish.