Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal is planning to return to competitive cricket at the forthcoming Bangladesh Premier League. The decision implies that the veteran batter, who is unavailable for the two-match Test series against New Zealand starting tomorrow, will also not be part of the touring party that will visit New Zealand for a white-ball series following the Test series.
Tamim made the announcement on Monday (November 27) in an impromptu media briefing at his house following a meeting with Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan at his residence to discuss his future in international cricket. The 34-year-old had made himself unavailable for the just-concluded World Cup stating he didn’t want to be part of BCB’s ‘dirty game’. This followed a particularly tumultuous period in Bangladesh cricket when Tamim retired, then un-retired, before stepping down as captain and then supposedly rejecting a middle-order role given to him.
“After the World Cup, I felt that there should be a decision about my international future. Throughout my career, I have always kept myself away from indecision. I have always been very open and clear about whatever decision I have taken in my life,” Tamim told reporters at the briefing where he took no questions.
“I was not in the country for quite some time so this meeting [with BCB chief Nazmul Hassan] was due. We held the meeting today because we had to postpone it yesterday too. Today is actually not a great day to do all this. The Test match starts tomorrow. Since we had to do the meeting today, a statement afterwards was always forthcoming, so I apologise that I am doing this the day before the game. It is important for me and the Bangladesh team that there’s no impact of this in the game,” he said.
“I had taken a decision about my future. Everyone knows about it. I had an understanding. I had to communicate with the cricket board officials. I spoke to the board president about a lot of things. We had an open discussion. He shared a lot of things too. I told him what I want to do.
“The board president told me to stop till January since he is busy with the [national parliamentary] elections. I think I will start playing cricket again from the BPL. After that, you will get a clearer idea about what happened.
“I don’t want to keep things hanging for a few more months. I don’t want to stretch it unnecessarily. After discussing a lot of things with the president and the board, I want to respect their decision and wait till January. I could have told you my plan today, but let me play in the BPL, and then we will have another discussion for sure.
“He [Nazmul] also said that he will talk to everyone and make some strict decisions. I will wait for it to happen,” he added.
Hours before Tamim’s media briefing, the BCB chief told reporters that he was not ready to take any decision regarding the former ODI captain’s future just by hearing his side of the story. He insisted that he wants to dig deep to get a clear picture of everything that transpired leading into Tamim’s absence from the doomed World Cup camaign.
“Tamim said few things and he did that at a time when I don’t have time because I have election after one month and I am staying in my constituency for most of the time. I told him that after election I will hear everything about his problem. I would not do anything on the basis of talking because I have to find out what is the problem and I want to go deep… like I will talk with everyone and try to know everything and later take a decision like the way I used to do before and he said it is a very good thing,” Nazmul told reporters.
“I told him whatever decision I will take it will be during the BPL because, after election and during the time of BPL I will get all the players and members of the coaching staff and I feel during this time I will get the information that is required to take a decision that is good for cricket.”
Nazmul to not seek re-election to BCB President post
Meanwhile, Nazmul added that he will not seek re-election to the post of president at the end of his third term but added that he will put the team in right direction before leaving the post. He even reiterated that he would not refrain from taking harsh decision if that is required to bring the team back on track.
Nazmul, who became the BCB President for the first time in 2012 and was later re-elected for the post twice, didn’t have to contest the elections in 2013 and 2017 as his panel stood unopposed. However, most recently he had decided against a panel and hence had to go through the rigours of an election.
