Former Bangladesh cricket team captain Tamim Iqbal has made shocking revelations about his omission from the upcoming World Cup squad. In a video message, the veteran cricketer shed light on the circumstances that led to his decision to withdraw from consideration for the tournament.
Tamim disclosed that he had a candid conversation with a high-ranking official from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). The official allegedly informed him that he would be part of the World Cup squad but under certain conditions related to his fitness. This included sitting out the opening game against Afghanistan and the possibility of being sent down the batting order.
The cricketer expressed his dismay at the proposed changes, explaining, “A top-level official of the board who is involved with our cricket called me and told me that you will go to World Cup and we have to make you play by managing [your fitness],” Tamim said on his official Facebook page.
“He told, ‘do one thing, you don’t play the opening game against Afghanistan’. I told him look there is still 10 to 12 days and in 12-13 days I will be in good state so why I should not be playing?. Then he said, ‘if you play, we are planning to send you down the order.’
“You have to understand I’m coming from which mind set. I played a good innings after a while (against New Zealand) and I was happy about it. But all of a sudden these kinds of words were not something that I could take,” he said.
“I am playing in the same position for last 17 years and I never batted at three or four. If I was batting at three or four and later my batting position was changed up and down, in that case it could be adjusted. But I don’t have any experience batting at three and four position. Certainly I did not take it well. I was feeling that I am forced in lot of areas willingly, like it is going well let’s do something new [to irritate him]. That is what I was feeling.
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