Mahmudullah announces retirement from international cricket

Mahmudullah announces retirement from international cricket

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Mahmudullah announced his retirement from ODIs via social media, expressing gratitude to Allah, teammates, coaches, and fans. He thanked his family for their support and acknowledged his brother Emdad Ullah for his mentorship. At 39, Mahmudullah is Bangladesh’s fourth-highest ODI run-scorer with 5,689 runs, including four centuries. His retirement follows that of brother-in-law Mushfiqur Rahim. Mahmudullah debuted in 2007 and contributed notably in key tournaments, including two centuries in the 2015 World Cup. His departure marks the end of a significant era in Bangladesh cricket alongside former teammates like Tamim and Shakib.

Mahmudullah has declared his retirement from the only format he was still participating in – ODIs – through a social media announcement on Wednesday.

“All praises be to the Almighty Allah. I have made the decision to retire from international cricket,” Mahmudullah shared on his official Facebook account. “I want to extend my gratitude to all my team-mates, coaches, and especially my fans who have consistently supported me. A heartfelt thank you to my parents, my in-laws, particularly my father-in-law, and most importantly to my brother Emdad Ullah, who has been a constant source of guidance and support since my childhood as my coach & mentor.”

“Lastly, I want to thank my wife & kids, who have been my unwavering support system through every challenge. I know Raeid will miss me wearing the red and green jersey. Not everything concludes perfectly, but you accept it and move on. Peace, Alhamdulillah. Wishing my team & Bangladesh cricket all the best.”

Having turned 39 last month, Mahmudullah previously retired from Tests in 2021 and T20Is in 2024.
Finishing as Bangladesh’s fourth-highest run-scorer in ODIs, Mahmudullah amassed 5689 runs at an average of 36.46, including four centuries and 32 fifties, trailing behind Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, and Tamim Iqbal. His announcement followed just a week after Mushfiqur, who is also his brother-in-law, retired from ODIs.
On Monday, the BCB released a statement indicating that Mahmudullah had asked the board not to include him in the central contracts list after February 2025, which was perceived as a sign of this forthcoming announcement.
All of Mahmudullah’s centuries were achieved during ICC tournaments. He scored two hundreds in the 2015 ODI World Cup and later made an unbeaten 102 against New Zealand during the 2017 Champions Trophy in Cardiff. More recently, in the 2023 ODI World Cup held in India, he scored 111 against South Africa in Mumbai.
The retirements of Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur came in the wake of Bangladesh’s early exit from the 2025 Champions Trophy. Mahmudullah participated in only one innings, scoring 4 off 14 balls against New Zealand in Rawalpindi. However, leading up to the tournament, he had shown exceptional form with four consecutive ODI fifties against Afghanistan and the West Indies away from home.
Mahmudullah began his ODI career in 2007 as a utility player, primarily batting at No. 7 and bowling off-spin. A pivotal moment occurred during the 2011 World Cup against England when he contributed an unbroken 58-run partnership for the ninth wicket with Shafiul Islam, steering Bangladesh to a two-wicket victory. The following year, his unbeaten fifties were instrumental in Bangladesh securing a 3-2 ODI series victory over the West Indies.

He enjoyed further success in the 2015 World Cup, where he achieved centuries in successive matches against England and New Zealand while batting at No. 3. His century against New Zealand during the 2017 Champions Trophy, in partnership with Shakib for a 223-run stand, is regarded as a landmark performance in the history of Bangladesh cricket.

Mahmudullah made a comeback in anticipation of the 2023 World Cup after being dropped from the side.

He also contributed significantly with the ball, taking 82 wickets at an economy rate of 5.21. Although Mahmudullah never captained Bangladesh in ODIs, he had led the team in T20Is and Tests.

His retirement marks the end of an era for Bangladesh’s most successful group of cricketers who played in white-ball formats from 2006 to 2025. Earlier this year, Tamim reaffirmed his retirement from international cricket. Shakib announced his retirements from Tests and T20Is in India last year, while also stating that the Champions Trophy would be his final ODI appearance. After missing the tournament for non-cricketing reasons, his ODI career now appears to be concluded as well.

Mashrafe Mortaza last participated in ODIs in 2020, marking his retirement from captaincy as well. Mushfiqur has since retired from ODIs and T20Is but is expected to become the first Bangladeshi cricketer to achieve the milestone of 100 Test matches.

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