Mahmudullah Riyad Declines BCB’s Offer to Join Match Referees Panel

To train former international cricketers as match referees, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has started a special two-day training and workshop, which began on Saturday. Several former national team players were invited to join the program, but recently retired star Mahmudullah Riyad declined the invitation. Even after direct contact from BCB’s umpires department, Mahmudullah reportedly said that he is currently focusing on domestic cricket and has decided not to join the workshop at this time.

Mahmudullah Declines Match Referee Role for Now

BCB sources said that Mahmudullah wants to continue playing domestic cricket and is not ready to focus on being a match official. The veteran all-rounder retired from ODIs after the 2025 Champions Trophy. He had already retired from Tests in 2021 and T20Is in 2024.

Even though Mahmudullah no longer plays international cricket, he is still active in domestic matches.

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Workshop for Former Cricketers

Apart from Mahmudullah, several well-known former players were invited to the workshop. These include Habibul Bashar Sumon (former national captain and selector), Abdur Razzak (current selector), Dhiman Ghosh, Fazle Mahmud, Naeem Islam, and Elias Sunny.

They are among 30 first-class cricketers taking part in the training. The goal is to help them become certified match referees. BCB has been working for some time to give retired players a chance to work in administrative and match official roles. This workshop is part of that plan.

Habibul Bashar is now working in the BCB Women’s Wing under the Game Development department. Abdur Razzak is still part of the men’s national selection panel.

BCB Keeps Door Open for Mahmudullah

Mahmudullah, who played 50 Tests, 239 ODIs, and 141 T20Is for Bangladesh, has led the team in all formats. While he skipped the current workshop, BCB sources say they still hope to involve him in future roles.