A file picture from February 13, 2017 shows Bangladesh batsman Mahmudullah playing a shot on the fifth day of their one-off Test against India at Hyderabad. — AFP photo
Newly-appointed vice-captain of Bangladesh Test team Mahmudullah said on Monday that he would try to implement his experiences of leading several domestic teams in his new role in the national Test team.
The 31-year all-rounder was appointed as the deputy of Sakib al Hasan in the Test format ahead of upcoming home series against Sri Lanka, which featured two Tests.
It would be Mahmudullah’s second term as a vice-captain of the side having served the team in this capacity from October 2011 to February 2014.
‘As I got the responsibility, I’ll try to perform well,’ Mahmudullah told reporters on Monday.
‘It obviously gives me some experience as I have been performing as captain in the domestic circuit on a regular basis. I will try to implement these in the field.
‘There are also many senior and junior players, who are very sincere in their works. So it will be easy for me. As we are a very good unit, it is very necessary to continue our good works,’ he added.
Mahmudullah was dropped from the squad for the second Test against Sri Lanka this year in Bangladesh’s historical 100th Test match, which they went on to win by four wickets in Colombo.
After being overlooked for Australia series, he returned to South Africa, where his 66 runs in the first innings of the first Test was one of the very few bright moments for Bangladesh in the series.
Mahmudullah said he was not looking back in the past and was trying to prepare himself better for the next series.
‘I’m not thinking deeply about the past. I am just thinking how I can perform well. If I know about my strong and weak points and if I can work on that, I can definitely make myself ready to perform well there. This is my ambition and I’m not thinking anything else,’ he said.
‘Sri Lanka is obviously a good team. Although they lost against India I think they will keep a special eye on this series. We are also in a good rhythm. I think it will be a great series.
‘We are very much confident as we’ll be playing on our home soil. We’ll be looking forward to bring our best in the matches,’ he added.
Bangladesh will be playing without a head coach in the upcoming series as the Bangladesh Cricket Board was still unable to find a new coach and Mahmudullah said that it would not be a big problem.
‘We have Sujon Bhai [Khaled Mahmud], Walsh [Courtney] here. We have a great team management as well as good players. It will be a new start so it is important for us to get a good start.
‘We’ll try to have a good start in a new year. We know about our home condition as well as we have a reasonable idea about the opponent players. So it is very essential to perform well.
‘If we can start the new year well it will boost up for the other series,’ he said.
Source: New Age.