Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan Papon said on Saturday that Tamim Iqbal had confided in him about not being interested in playing T20Is and while it was not exactly a bombshell revelation — with Tamim skipping four T20I series ahead of the T20 World Cup in UAE last year before eventually opting out of the coveted tournament — the player himself had not said anything about retirement from the game’s shortest format.
That World Cup debacle only worsened Bangladesh cricket’s woes in the shortest format. The crisis in the opening slots and their roles deepened due to Liton not getting into his flow alongside Mohammad Naim, playing his debut World Cup. Tamim, who himself had been battling injury issues, was quick to get into his groove, hitting two fifties in Minister Group Dhaka’s first two games in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). There is value in his experience and class, thus Tamim opting not to play T20Is caused an uproar.
The left-hander possesses one of Bangladesh’s most attacking mentalities, but his role in T20Is as well as that of other openers in the team has often been foggy. Bangladesh trying out Saif Hassan as an opener in the T20Is against Pakistan further showcased the lack of depth in opening slots. All this brings focus back to Tamim, who has consistency by his side in terms of scoring runs.
Bangladesh team director Khaled Mahmud is charged with handling matters within the team and he gave credence to some of the issues disrupting the team that had been floating around in the media while speaking at Mirpur’s Academy Ground yesterday. Mahmud, who is in charge of Fortune Barishal in the BPL, was surprised by what BCB president had relayed. Tamim, who did not practice yesterday, could not be reached when The Daily Star wanted to query him.
“I was a bit surprised. Before leaving for New Zealand, I asked Tamim why he doesn’t want to play T20Is and the reasons behind his decision. But I haven’t talked to him yet. I saw that [Nazmul Hassan] Papon bhai has already talked about his conversation with Tamim,” Mahmud told reporters.
“It’s clear that we don’t have top-order batter of his calibre that are ready to play. But it’s a personal issue. If he doesn’t want to, no one can force him. But we have to move forward because Bangladesh cricket won’t sit still,” he added.
“I will of course [deal with it] since it’s my responsibility. I want Bangladesh to play their best teams in all three formats, right? I want to focus on the next year very hard. I want to talk to him face to face,” he added.
“My task is to solve little problems, especially misunderstandings. It happens. Sometimes egos can cause issues.
“I understand that there is some distance in the group but solving it is a responsibility. We want to play with their best players,” he added, but It remains to be seen whether Bangladesh management will find the solution they need in Tamim or whether the player will find the urge to carry the load in the format.
