Bangladesh all-rounder Mahmudullah Riyad announced sudden retirement from Test cricket in the middle of the ongoing one-off match against Zimbabwe.

His teammates gave him a “guard of honor” before entering the field on the fifth day of the Test in Harare on Sunday. 

Commentators have also confirmed Mahmudullah’s retirement on the live broadcast.

Earlier, at the beginning of the Test, it was heard that Mahmudullah expressed his desire to retire from Test cricket to fellow cricketers, coaches and officials in the dressing room.

According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, Mahmudullah made the announcement shortly after the end of the third day's play of the ongoing one-off Test against Zimbabwe.

Mahmudullah made his Test debut in the West Indies in 2009. The current Test against Zimbabwe in Harare is the 50th of his career. In the Test, Riyad has scored his career-best 150 runs in the first innings.

Sports analyst Saleque Sufi said Mahmudullah, one of the five exceptionally talented cricketer Bangladesh, produced over the past decade was earlier axed from test cricket for his not too good form with the bat with red cherry. Not that those played in his position was doing better. He was rather considered better for white ball cricket and made captain of T20 format. But he continued to perform way better than most in whatever little cricket Bangladesh cricket played during COVID. 

He also said: "Bangladesh continued to ignore the veteran Riyad. Even during this tour, he was included in the test squad only at the last minute as Tamim and Mushfique nursing injury were unsure of playing. Riyad’s match defining sterling performance proved BCB people wrong. He is not a player to be ignored in any situation of Bangladesh cricket. He must play in all format and bat at any position between 3-5."

BDST: 1516 HRS, JUL 11, 2021
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