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On Tuesday, Bangladesh revealed their 15-member squad for the highly anticipated ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023, scheduled to take place in India from October 5 to November 19. The squad will be under the captaincy of ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, with Litton Das serving as vice-captain.
Tamim Iqbal’s surprising exclusion
A surprising twist emerged in the squad selection as veteran cricketer Tamim Iqbal, who had previously announced his retirement reversal in July, found himself excluded from the World Cup squad. Despite his absence from the Asia Cup 2023 due to a back injury, Tamim regained fitness and participated in the recent ODI series against New Zealand on home turf. His omission from the World Cup squad raised questions and eyebrows within the cricketing community.
Tamim’s controversial post
Tamim addressed the situation on social media on Wednesday (September 27), asserting that he was fully fit to participate in the World Cup. However, the 34-year-old claimed that a senior Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) official had requested him to bat lower down the order.
🚨 TAMIM IQBAL CONFIRMS.
Tamim confirms a top management from BCB asked him not to play the first game against Afghanistan and also gave the second option to bat in the middle order if he plays.
Tamim was surprised and angry as he never batted even at number three in his… pic.twitter.com/yQHCKRFnLR
— Saif Ahmed 🇧🇩 (@saifahmed75) September 27, 2023
Also READ: South Africa legend Dale Steyn predicts the two finalists of ODI World Cup 2023
Shakib al Hasan’s response
Shakib, who now leads the team, responded to Tamim’s claims and revealed that one of the players had advised Tamim to step down from the captaincy, allowing his successor to adapt to the role. Shakib drew a parallel with Rohit Sharma‘s career, where he initially batted lower in the order before becoming an opener, emphasizing the importance of adaptability.
“I have often heard in the dressing room that he is leaving the captaincy. Even a player once told him that ‘bhai, leave it early so that the new captain gets a bit of time’. Exactly that’s what happened. The one who came in, didn’t get the time. Each and everyone knew including the selectors and board officials. I don’t know why he didn’t leave it (earlier). He can tell you,” Shakib was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“Someone like Rohit Sharma built his career from No. 7 to opener, scored 10,000-plus runs. If he sometimes bats at No 3 or 4, would it be a big problem? It is totally childish. It is my bat, I will play. No one else can play. A player should bat at any position for the team. Team first. You are not thinking about the team at all,” the 36-year-old added.
Regarding the fitness concern, Shakib emphasized that he preferred not to include a player with uncertainties about their fitness. The fallout between two of Bangladesh’s cricketing stalwarts has taken center stage ahead of the World Cup.
“I didn’t discuss the subject with the particular player, medical team or selector. It is definitely the board’s decision. People might doubt my capability or capacity but someone like MS Dhoni, who has won everything and has the knowledge and sense, once said that the unfit player who is playing is cheating his team and country. I think we should accept it, and not just Tamim but every player (that you have to be fully fit when playing for the team or country),” the Magura-born cricketer concluded.
World Cup campaign begins
Bangladesh’s ODI World Cup 2023 campaign is set to kick off on October 7, 2023, against Afghanistan at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. The ongoing tensions between Shakib and Tamim have added an intriguing subplot to the team’s preparations for the quadrennial event.
