Mahmudullah keeps coaching option open as he mentors Nayeem

Mahmudullah, the former Bangladesh all-rounder, is not ruling out a future in coaching.

Mahmudullah had earlier expressed an interest in taking up coaching after his playing career, a plan revealed by current BCB president Aminul Islam. He had informed Aminul of his intentions before the latter took charge of the board.

In September 2025, Mahmudullah was part of a special batting course organised by the BCB. The three-day programme, conducted by Australian experts Ashley Ross and Ian Renshaw, was attended by around 15 batting coaches and focused on honing coaching skills. At the time, it appeared Mahmudullah was laying the groundwork for a transition into coaching.

However, there had been little visible movement in that direction since-until Saturday, when he was spotted conducting a one-to-one batting session with Test off-spinner Nayeem Islam at the BCB Academy.

Like a seasoned coach, Mahmudullah spent time listening to Nayeem's concerns before offering inputs, particularly around expanding his range as a finisher.

When contacted, Mahmudullah did not dismiss the possibility of entering coaching. "No one knows what lies ahead so the future will decide as far coaching is concerned," Mahmudullah told Cricbuzz on Saturday (April 4).

"We just had some basic discussion about batting," he said when his attention was drawn regarding his one-to-one session with Nayeem.

Nayeem revealed that the two have been working together for some time.

"Actually, I called him myself towards the end of Ramadan. I was batting well in the BCL, Alhamdulillah. But I felt that if I want to take my batting to another level, I need to improve many things," Nayeem told this website.

"He( Mahmudullah) has been batting at number six or seven towards the end of his career. So he is very successful in Bangladesh as a finisher.

"With that in mind, I was speaking to him about the finishing role. I asked what I should do. I play Tests, but in ODIs and T20s, if I bat the same way, I won't get the finisher's role. The way I am batting now is normally fine for Tests. But in ODIs, sometimes you have to go in and hit a six from the first ball. So what should I do in that situation?," he said.

"I spoke to him about that. After talking, he asked me a few questions and I answered them. Since then, I have been working with him, Alhamdulillah, on my batting," he added.

"When I reached out, he responded very well. That made me feel more open-that I can work with him. Since he is helping me, I can speak to him freely. I share my problems with him and he gives me feedback. Inshallah, let's see how it goes."

"When he was playing, I used to speak with him occasionally. But now that he has come into coaching, I reached out to him myself. I felt that speaking with him would help me," he said, adding that he had also given him some tips about power hitting.

"He also mentioned that when I go for power hitting, it is better if my body weight stays slightly back. That way I can use my full range and hit under the ball. If my balance goes too far onto the front foot, I won't be able to generate power. If my body stays centred, I can use full power. The front foot doesn't have much role-just to guide direction," he said.

"In my opinion, he has international experience. He has done it himself. I believe he will be very good. He is very friendly. Inshallah, he will be a good coach," he concluded.

Mahmudullah has retired from international cricket and is currently active only in domestic competitions.