Tamim Iqbal was not selected for Bangladesh’s ICC World Cup team, which was revealed by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Friday night. This decision came after a series of controversies surrounding the veteran opener.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) decided to release Tamim because they were concerned about his condition. The left-handed hitter has been suffering from a reoccurring back problem, which caused him to miss the Asia Cup earlier this month.
But Tamim, the most successful opener the country has ever produced, was getting ready to participate in his fifth consecutive World Cup. He appeared at ease while starting the innings against New Zealand in the second one-day international that was played in Mirpur, where he hit a fluent 44 on Saturday.
Tamim’s place in the squad was likely not a dilemma for the selectors, who were sweating on whether or not to include Mahmudullah Riyad by sacrificing an all-rounder in the 15-man World Cup squad. Despite playing with some pain, which is something that many top-level and experienced cricketers around the world are known to do, Tamim’s place in the squad was likely not a dilemma for the selectors.
The drama surrounding Tamim’s selection, on the other hand, began to play out at midnight on Monday, after ODI captain Shakib Al Hasan and coach Chandika Hathurusingha paid a visit to the residence of BCB President Nazmul Hassan Papon.
Shakib wanted to give down from his role as captain during the meeting, according to insiders from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), because he did not want unfit players to go to the World Cup. It is common knowledge that Shakib was referring to the injury that Tamim is currently dealing with.
Everyone was taken aback when they heard the news when it first broke yesterday morning. It also caused the announcement of the World Cup team to be postponed, which, according to the official social handles of the BCB, was supposed to take place during the innings break of the day-night third One-Day International against New Zealand.
Even though it is customary for the selectors to make a squad announcement during a press briefing, the board announced the final team via its various social media sites at 8:14 p.m. despite the fact that the press briefing did not take place until after the match versus New Zealand.
Chief Selector Minhazul Abedin made an appearance at the press briefing, where he stated, “The squad is prepared after discussing it with the medical department, team management, players, the captain, and the head coach as well.” When it came to Tamim, we followed the standard operating method that we have always used for all of our other players.
It was a little strange that in the aftermath of all that chaos, the only explanation given for Tamim’s absence was that he had sustained an injury. After all, the fact that he was played in the first two one-day internationals against New Zealand, in a series that was being billed as the team’s last chance to find the ideal combination for the World Cup, certainly says that the medical department and all those other stakeholders had regarded Tamim to be a risk that was worth taking.
There was no indication that his ailment had gotten significantly worse over the course of the last three days, even if it had.
The issue with the injuries, according to some familiar with the game, was only a smokescreen to mask the more significant problem that has been afflicting the national squad.
They stated that the whole incident is upsetting for a squad that is going to participate in a worldwide showpiece event, which will begin on October 5 in India.
According to their statements, it also demonstrated once more a lack of togetherness within the national team as well as the board’s incapacity to manage such crises in a professional manner.
An official who is privy to information on Tamim’s health status stated that the left-handed batter’s back ailment is common knowledge to everyone.
As long as he takes the necessary precautions, there should be no problem preventing him from participating in the game. During the game against New Zealand, he played with such ease. The official believes that if he had participated in the third ODI, it would have been beneficial for his self-assurance.
The management of the squad stated that Tamim had chosen out of playing in the most recent game so that he could get some rest. According to those with knowledge of the situation, however, Tamim’s choice was motivated by an ongoing dispute with Shakib and coach Hathurusingha.
Tamim and Shakib had not communicated with one another in a considerable amount of time, and a member of the board who did not wish to be identified stated, “The relationship has become so complicated that nobody knows how to solve it.”The president of the board has also admitted it in public, but he has not taken much steps to mitigate its impact.
It has also been widely speculated that Hathurusingha has not been as effective as she should have been in her capacity as a peacemaker. Since his return to his position as coach of Bangladesh in February of this year, Hathurusingha has been unable to successfully construct the team into a cohesive one.
One of the six reasons that the Sri Lankan cricket board stated for his dismissal as coach in 2019, following a string of disappointing results for the national side, was that he was unable to bring the players together to form a cohesive unit.
In dramatic fashion, Tamim announced his retirement from all forms of cricket after playing Bangladesh’s first match against the Afghanistan team on tour on July 5 in Chattogram. The match was against the Afghanistan squad that was on tour.
Insiders then added that an upset Tamim, who has frequently been criticized for not handling pressure well off the field, made the decision because he was concerned that the team management had not preserved faith in him while he was playing through discomfort. Tamim has often been criticized for not being able to handle pressure well off the field.
At that time, he had changed his mind about the matter after receiving input from the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina.
However, Tamim did not make it back this time around.