Mahmudullah Unlikely for Pakistan ODI

Bangladesh's all-rounder Mahmudullah is likely to be unavailable in April this year for the lone ODI against host Pakistan in Karachi.

As per media reports, yesterday Mahmudullah told the head of the national selection panel, Minhajul Abedin, of his unavailability but has yet to submit a written application to make the request official.

“Mahmudullah's wife will be awaiting the birth of their child during that point of time [when Bangladesh face Pakistan in the lone ODI] and he wants to be with her during that time. He just informed about it verbally during the meeting. If that is the case, he is likely to be unavailable for the lone ODI against Pakistan, though he is yet to inform us anything officially through an application,” Minhajul revealed to a cricket-based website.

Mahmudullah's decision to skip an international game came at a time when Nazmul Hasan, president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, voiced his dissatisfaction over the cricketers’ requests for leave during a series.

During a press conference recently, Nazmul informed that a cricketer has to apply for leave at least six months in advance.

In their last leg of the three-phase tour of Pakistan, Bangladesh will play a one-off ODI and the second and final Test match.

The ODI will be played on April 3, followed by the second Test two days later, and both the games will be held in Karachi.

Bangladesh so far have lost the three-match T20I series against Pakistan 2-0, with the third game washed out, along with the first Test.