Tamim Iqbal requests BCB to exclude him from central contract

Tamim Iqbal. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal has reportedly requested to be omitted from the upcoming central contract list, as per a BCB official’s statement on Sunday. The 34-year-old, who previously captained the ODI team, indicated that he would assess his international career after a conversation with BCB President Nazmul Hassan. However, an earlier meeting between them was cut short due to the president’s involvement in the upcoming general election campaign.

Tamim opted out of participation in the World Cup due to disagreements with the BCB higher-ups and team management. Consequently, he was absent during the recent home Test series against New Zealand and remained unavailable for the ongoing New Zealand tour. The BCB will aim to finalise the central contract roster by December 31, pending approval from the BCB president.

“Tamim said he has his own plan and therefore he requested us not to include him in the central contract list. He (Tamim) is supposed to meet the BCB president after the national election to decide the next course of action. Till then we have to wait,” BCB cricket operations chairman Jalal Yunus told reporters as quoted by Cricbuzz.

Tamim had alleged ‘dirty game’ being played in BCB corridors

The southpaw, who last featured for Bangladesh during the home ODI series against New Zealand in September prior to the ICC World Cup in India, had a minimal appearance in 2023, playing just one Test and 12 ODIs. His exclusion from the Cricket World Cup 2023 squad led him to share his perspective on the matter. He had expressed frustration and had alleged that a senior Bangladesh Cricket Board official influenced his decision to withdraw from the World Cup by imposing unrealistic fitness targets and batting order demands.

In an emotional video posted on his Facebook page, Tamim had referred to the situation as a ‘dirty game.’ He had disclosed having informed the official not to include him in the squad for India, rather than conforming to unachievable expectations set for the prestigious tournament. This revelation had shed light on the complexities and disagreements behind his absence from the World Cup squad.