Before the 2015 ICC World Cup down under, none of the Bangladesh cricketers had scored a hundred in the global showpiece event, let alone back-to-back centuries. Mahmudullah changed all that, scoring blistering centuries against England and New Zealand in the group stage.
However, it has been anything but a rosy ride for the 29-year old. Since making his international debut in 2007, the Mymensingh lad has witnessed countless ups and downs in his career. Mahmudullah though, eventually overcame all the obstacles and established himself as one of the most dependable batsmen in the Tigers’ side.
The soft-spoken right-hander took some time out from his holidays to speak candidly with Dhaka Tribune last Tuesday. Below are the excerpts of the exclusive interview:
It has been a little more than eight years since you made your international bow. Have you enjoyed your journey thus far?
So far so good Alhamdulillah. I have experienced a lot of ups and downs in the past eight years. But, I would like to see myself in a much better position when I finish my career.
You encountered a lot of criticism before scoring back-to-back tons in the World Cup. Many were questioning your role in the side. In order to silence the critics, you worked extremely hard and lost a bit of weight ahead of the global showpiece event. Did you set any personal goals before departing for Australia?
Well yes, I have worked hard on my fitness under the supervision of Mario [Villavarayan], the trainer of the national team. I maintained a strict diet. Yes, there was hunger in me to do something special but there were no particular goals for the World Cup. But, it was a great feeling for me to smash back-to-back centuries in the World Cup. I think it was the crowning moment of my career.
You were recently promoted up the batting order. Do you think the promotion helped your batting as you did not get enough time to bat earlier?
I used to bat lower down the order. I did not get enough opportunities to bat for longer periods. Credit goes to Chandika [Hathurusingha], our coach, who supported me and promoted me up the batting order to number four in the Zimbabwe series last year, just before the World Cup. I think it has been the turning point of my career. I am looking forward to holding on to my position and performing for my team in the future as well.
You remained absolutely silent, even when bad things were being said about your relation with Mushfiqur Rahim. Many said you were in the team due to Mushfiq, and not for your merit. How did you handle the situation?
It was the most toughest period of my life. I heard these things which hurt me a lot. Some of them even said such things in front of me which made me feel really bad. But, my family supported me at that time. My father, mother and wife, who all support me through thick and thin, helped me overcome the toughest phase of my career. I was determined to prove myself. However, it was very tough for me mentally.
Currently, you are an integral member of the national side. How do you feel after overcoming the obstacles?
Obviously it feels good to be an important part of the Bangladesh team as I always wanted to perform for my country and win matches. I would like to continue performing well for my team in future as well and try to remain in the team as a performer In Sha Allah.
Who is your role model?
I do not have any role models but [Khaled Mahmud] Sujon bhai has been the cricketer I used to look up to and follow in my childhood days. He has been a great mentor for me. I never had the opportunity to thank him for whatever he has done for me. I would like to take this opportunity and thank him from the bottom of my heart. On the other hand, I like the way India captain MS Dhoni plays in the international arena but he is not my role model.
Mahmudullah is normally a media-shy person but an extremely funny guy in the dressing room. Your take on that?
Smiles.....Generally, I am a soft-spoken person and also a very shy man. But yes, those who know me personally, they can say that. I need some time to gel with an unknown person and it is natural.
Obviously I crack jokes in the dressing room and have fun with my team mates. We are a very nice family. Apart from me there are a few others like Tamim [Iqbal], Mushfiq, Nasir [Hossain] and Mashrafe [bin Mortaza] who also share funny things in the dressing room which we all enjoy a lot.