Bangladesh’s experienced cricketer Mahmudullah has requested the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) not to include him in the central contract beyond February 2025, a board official confirmed on Monday.
According to the proposed central contract list for 2025, the selection panel had placed Mahmudullah in the Grade B category. However, he personally informed the board of his decision to opt out from March onwards. “He requested the board not to consider him in the central contract from March,” a BCB official told Cricbuzz. Despite his decision, Mahmudullah will still receive his salary for January and February, as the central contract begins at the start of the year.
The board recently discussed the central contract draft in a meeting, though it has yet to receive final approval. Meanwhile, following Bangladesh’s performance in the 2025 Champions Trophy, both Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim’s positions in the national team came under scrutiny. Rahim recently announced his retirement from ODIs, and Mahmudullah, who has represented Bangladesh in 239 ODIs over his 18-year career, is expected to follow suit soon.
It is understood that Mahmudullah has already informed the board that he does not intend to participate in the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup. His decision to withdraw from the central contract appears to be a step in that direction, signaling the possibility of his retirement from international cricket in the near future.
