As part of this pathway, Mahmudullah was invited by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to participate in a match referee training course. He declined the offer, opting instead to continue playing in domestic leagues for the time being.
In recent years, Bangladesh has made notable steps in umpiring, with annual match referee courses held by the BCB. Despite this, no Bangladeshi has yet made a significant mark on the international stage in officiating. To improve the quality of match referees, the board is now focusing on involving former first-class cricketers.
A two-day match referee training workshop began on Saturday (July 26), with several prominent former cricketers invited to attend. The list includes Habibul Bashar Sumon, Abdur Razzak, Dhiman Ghosh, Fazle Mahmud, Naeem Islam, and Elias Sunny, among others.
Former T20 captain Mahmudullah was also invited but chose not to attend. Under current rules, active professional cricketers are not eligible to become match referees, which means one must officially retire from all forms of professional cricket before enrolling in the course.
Speaking on Mahmudullah's absence, BCB’s Iftikhar Rahman Mithu explained,
"It’s not a matter of accepting or rejecting. He told me he wants to play for a few more days in domestic leagues. We had a conversation—once his playing career ends, he will consider it. A player can't become a match referee while still active."
In a strategic shift, the BCB only allowed former first-class or national team cricketers to attend this year's course.
All 30 participants have experience at the top level of domestic or international cricket. BCB official Raqibul Hasan emphasized the importance of that approach, noting that players show more respect when officials have a similar playing background.
"We’ve conducted a few match referee courses in the past but this time, Mithu bhai, the president, and I decided that participants must have played at the national or first-class level. When a player sees a former Test or first-class cricketer officiating, they are naturally more respectful, which helps in controlling the game from the very start." Raqibul said.
The initiative reflects the BCB’s broader vision to develop high-caliber match officials capable of representing Bangladesh on the global stage.
