Tamim Iqbal: I have been playing in the same position for the last 17 years and I never batted at three or four

Former Bangladesh skipper Tamim Iqbal said on Wednesday that he had requested that his name not be put forward for the upcoming ODI World Cup after being told to bat lower in the order or skip the opening game against Afghanistan while in a video statement, he stated that he didn’t want to participate in what he called a “dirty game” from the BCB.

Former Bangladesh skipper Tamim Iqbal said on Wednesday that he had requested that his name not be put forward for the upcoming ODI World Cup after being told to bat lower in the order or skip the opening game against Afghanistan.

In a video statement posted on his official Facebook page after being left out of the team headed to the World Cup, the veteran batter stated that he didn’t want to participate in what he called a “dirty game” from the BCB.

“A top-level official of the board who is involved with our cricket called me and told me that you will go to the World Cup and we have to make you play by managing [your fitness],”

Tamim said.

“He said, ‘do one thing, you don’t play the opening game against Afghanistan’. I told him to look there are still 10 to 12 days and in 12-13 days I will be in a 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 mindset. 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 have been playing in the same position for the 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 positions. Certainly, I did not take it well. I felt that I was forced in a lot of areas willingly, like it is going well let’s do something new [to irritate him]. That is what I was feeling.

“At that point, I said that if you are thinking like this then don’t send me because I don’t want to be part of this dirty game. Later I spoke a lot with him that I don’t want to disclose in this platform and I want it to remain between the two of us. Still, I told him that if these things happen doesn’t keep me because I don’t want to be part of these dirty things.”

The veteran batter made a comeback in the New Zealand series, after a drawn-out drama including a back injury, a retirement U-turn, and stepping down as captain. 

He didn’t bat against New Zealand in the first game of the series as the match was called off due to rain, but he did make 44 runs in the second ODI while admitting afterward that his back was still bothering him.

During the official press conference after the team was announced, BCB’s selection panel members claimed that Tamim was not selected due to his injury concerns. Tamim refused this and said that the medical staff had cleared him to play without any restrictions.

“According to the physio report, my condition was explained… like there was pain after the first game and there was pain after the second game and he is available for selection for the game on the 26th but the medical department felt if I take rest we travel on the 27th… We have a practice game on 28 [29] and another one on 1st or 2nd and if I play the second practice game. If I take rest now and play the second practice game, I will have enough rest and overall I will have 10-week rehab and will be in a good position to play the first game,”

Tamim added.

“There was nowhere written [in the physio report] that I would be available for five matches or and cannot play and things like that. I am not denying that I had pain and basically, this is what happened. I think what is coming in the media…about my injury or that I’m available for five matches… I don’t think it is largely responsible for my not going into the World Cup because I was not injured till now, there can be pain but I was not injured.”

Bangladesh will play two World Cup warm-up games at Guwahati against Sri Lanka and England respectively. They will play the opening game of their World Cup against Afghanistan at Dharamsala on 7 October.

Bangladesh World Cup squad: Shakib Al Hasan (c), Litton Das, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto (vc), Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib