Mahmudullah dropped from the second Test against Sri Lanka

Bangladesh have decided not to play all-rounder Mahmudullah in the second Test against Sri Lanka, the Bangladesh team manager Khaled Mahmud confirmed. The Test, which is scheduled to begin on March 15 in Colombo, will be Bangladesh’s 100th Test and given this would be an emotional and landmark occasion for Bangladesh Cricket, it was decided not to keep a senior and high-profile player sitting on the bench, and so Mahmudullah will fly home on the eve of the game.

Mahmudullah made scores of 8 and 0 in Bangladesh’s defeat in Galle and bowled just two overs of his off spin. In the one-off Test in India, he had made a half-century but before that had gone ten innings without getting to a fifty.

“He may come back for the ODI leg of the tour, the squad has not been decided yet.” This morning, he took part in a fielding drill but then went into the dressing room, seeming downcast, and did not take part in Bangladesh’s net sessions.

His twin centuries in the 2015 World Cup against New Zealand and England, following a promotion to the top order for a subcontinent batsman not known for good footwork, was proof that he was one of those players whose mind rule over the matter.

But all has not been well since 2015. In the 10 Tests and 17 innings since then, he has had only two 50-plus scores – 67 against South Africa at home in July 2015 and 64 in his last Test innings before this one last month in Hyderabad.

He is a batsman currently fighting for both form and place, but not all seems working in his favor. This restlessness has affected his rather calm play because he wants to score as many as he can while he is still in the mix.