“Looks like he has come here on vacation” - Former cricketer’s brutal dig at Bangladesh player after 2025 Champions Trophy exit

Legendary Pakistani bowler Wasim Akram has lambasted Bangladesh veteran Mahmudullah for his shoddy showing in the Champions Trophy 2025 group stage contest against New Zealand recently. The all-rounder failed to make an impact in the must-win encounter in Rawalpindi, scoring four runs and dropping a catch, to mark a forgettable outing.

The Tigers needed Mahmudullah's years of experience to help them navigate a tough group from their perspective. The veteran came into the side in place of Soumya Sarkar to bolster the middle-order after being left out in the first match against India in Dubai.

He had a decent Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) campaign as part of the champions, Fortune Barishal. The all-rounder was prolific with the bat in ODIs in 2024, scoring four fifties in a row during the bilateral series against the West Indies and Afghanistan away from home.

However, his untimely dismissal after facing 14 deliveries and a dropped catch in the second innings to give Rachin Ravindra a reprieve, copped blame from all corners.

That was a sitter! Mahmudullah lagda hai chhuti de aaya hai (Mahmudullah looks like he has come here on vacation). Na batting ho rahi, na bowling (He’s unable to bat or bowl)," Akram told the broadcasters (via Indian Express).

“This is a learning curve for Bangladesh cricket. They’ve brought guys like Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim who are 39 and 37 years old. Prepare young players for white ball cricket and let these veterans play red ball if they want to do it. White ball cricket is about fearlessness. This is what Bangladesh needs to think about, preparing a team for next year’s T20 World Cup," he added.

Ravindra had crossed the three-figure mark when Mahmudullah dropped him at mid-on. At that point, the score read 191-3 after 36 overs. Although New Zealand were firm favorites to win, a potential dismissal might have allowed Bangladesh to come back into the contest.

"It was necessary for Riyad bhai to play" - Najmul Hossain Shanto defended Mahmudullah after the defeat

Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto was quizzed about the senior players' contribution, and their place in the side. Much like Mahmudullah, fellow veteran Mushfiqur Rahim had also failed to make an impression, scoring only two runs in two matches in the tournament so far.

The captain defended the veteran all-rounder's presence in the playing XI, deeming it as a necessary aspect for the sake of the team's balance.

"Soumya bats at the top, and Riyad (Mahmudullah) bhai bats in the lower middle order. So, if Soumya played, we would have had to shuffle our batting order a lot. It was necessary for Riyad bhai to play because, if you look at his last four to five innings, he batted well. So, Riyad bhai was important," Najmul said during the post-match presentation (via Cricbuzz).

Bangladesh were eliminated from the semi-final race after successive defeats in the Champions Trophy 2025 group stage. Their last match is against Pakistan, scheduled for Thursday, February 27, in Rawalpindi.