Is this press conference being held about tomorrow’s match? If not, then Litton Das doesn’t need to be here. Call the board president or the coach. They can tell you. I came here to speak about tomorrow’s game.
In the third person, Litton Das was the one speaking. Despite the fact that Tamim Iqbal’s abrupt departure from international cricket was the only topic of conversation, it was already halfway through the lengthy news conference where he had been introduced as Bangladesh’s interim ODI captain. For the most part, Litton had been successfully fighting them all off, but ultimately his patience was exhausted.
Bangladeshi players have long believed that “retirement” is a sensitive matter. Nazmul Hassan, the president of the BCB, was very clear in saying that he expected the players to only act in a certain way with his approval.
As an illustration, Hassan was enraged with Mahmudullah and did not like his decision when he resigned from Tests in Harare two years ago. Hasan and the board didn’t officially recognize Hasan’s retirement until much later.
It was a little surprising that Tamim wasn’t in training on Friday. The rest of the group didn’t make any overt displays of support or homage for him. They are, after all, behind by a score of 0-1 in a crucial series.
However, Tamim Iqbal had a significant and profound influence on this Bangladeshi team. It can’t be held against his now-former teammates, coaches, or support personnel if they find it upsetting.
“I learned about it at 1:00pm yesterday,”
Litton said.
We didn’t expect such a decision. We have been playing together for a long time. It is totally my elder brother’s decision. He has given a lot to Bangladesh cricket in his long career. The whole team respects his decision.
“I don’t think I should answer these questions, especially with a match coming up tomorrow. We are 1-0 down. We are all focused on winning tomorrow. Even my elder brother said that the team comes first. There’s no point talking about it (whether it was professional to criticize Tamim). BCB has given me the responsibility which I want to perform to the best of my ability.
“It is hard to say (if we miss Tamim). I am here today. If I am not here tomorrow, maybe due to an injury, the Bangladesh team won’t miss me. This is normal. New cricketers will come, and there will be a time when we will also be gone. It will keep happening. If he was around, it may have been good or bad. I don’t think we need to talk about it now that he is not around.”
Bangladesh cricket’s new captain is cautious to express his thoughts toward a senior player with whom he has played for eight years of his professional career because retirement is such a sensitive topic in the country. Under the BCB, this is how it is.
Just before Litton entered the press conference on Friday morning, the board confirmed him as the ODI captain. Given that the choice was made the previous evening, he must have known in advance. It was determined that Litton would serve as leader in the interim after a meeting between some of the BCB directors and Hassan in Dhaka.
Litton, who has previously only served as a stand-in for the captain of Bangladesh, served as vice-captain during the present ODI series against Afghanistan. Shakib Al Hasan is the front-runner to replace him as captain of the ODI team to go with his leadership positions in Tests and T20Is. It is thought that he is once again only a temporary solution, for the remainder of this series.
The Afghanistan captain’s response to Tamim’s question was more direct. Hashmatullah Shahidi said, “He was unquestionably a top player for Bangladesh.”
“He was a captain with experience. He lived for a very long time. We will benefit greatly from it. He wasn’t there. We are excited for the game tomorrow.
“I don’t know what’s happening with them. I focus on us. You can say it is surprising for everyone that he left in between. He is a nice and kind guy. I respect him too much.”
On Friday at around 6 p.m. Dhaka time, the shocking conclusion to this extraordinary story was made known when Tamim announced his withdrawal from retirement following a meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.