Legendary Bangladesh batter Tamim Iqbal was unable to retire from cricket on his own terms last year and now finds himself in a unique situation where a comeback is possible. The chances of the veteran opener returning have improved with the support of the newly appointed Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President, Faruque Ahmed.
Tamim stepped away from international cricket in 2023 but was urged to reconsider by influential figures like then-president Sheikh Hasina and former captain Mashrafe Mortaza. However, his return has not been successful, marked by a conflict with captain Shakib Al Hasan over his batting position, which kept him out of the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Although Tamim remains an active player in the longer formats, he believes that any potential comeback must have a meaningful purpose to be worthwhile.
“The way I finished, it wasn’t pleasant. So, for me to come back and play, I need to have a purpose. I am not someone who would come back for the heck of it and then play just four or five games.”
“What is the point? Everybody says, ‘Come back, we want you’, but if I turn up for five games, will that help Bangladesh cricket? If there is a proper plan in terms of what they want to do and achieve, then I can think about it and we can talk accordingly,” Tamim Iqbal told Sportstar.
Bangladesh has recently maintained consistent opening combinations in both Tests and ODIs, but Tamim Iqbal’s experience would be valuable for a batting lineup that is navigating a significant transition.
The 35-year-old also shared how the board could effectively approach him to encourage his return, highlighting the importance of the 2025 Champions Trophy as a motivating factor.
“If they (the BCB) tell me that we want to win the Champions Trophy or at least we want to qualify for the semifinals, and this will probably be the last tournament that the three or four senior players would play regardless of whatever the differences are and that the BCB will fix it. This is the way to approach people,” Tamim added.
Bangladesh secured a spot in the eight-nation tournament by finishing eighth in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
“Am I playing for the cricket board or for the team?”- Tamim Iqbal
There’s also the question of Tamim Iqbal rejoining a potentially strong Bangladesh team under Najmul Hossain Shanto. The team has been performing well recently, having qualified for the Super 8 stage in the 2024 T20 World Cup and winning a Test series against Pakistan 2-0 away.
Tamim acknowledged that he is uncertain about how his teammates would receive him after his extended absence, and he believes that everything needs to be in place for him to consider a return.
“Yeah, obviously. But the thing is – do I play for the cricket board, or do I play for the team? Where should this approach (request) come from? The cricket board looks after me but the players also need to be welcoming,” Tamim said in the aforementioned interview.
He also discussed missing the 2023 ODI World Cup squad, despite having met with captain Shakib Al Hasan alongside then-BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon, which appeared to resolve their differences.
“You can have bad relationships, or there could be differences with people, but when it comes to the national interest, everybody should be one and there should not be any vindictiveness. Unfortunately, that happened,” Tamim concluded.
Tamim Iqbal is currently serving as a broadcaster for the ongoing Test series between India and Bangladesh.
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