Bangladesh batter Tamim Iqbal stated that multiple individuals were behind his omission from the 2023 ODI World Cup squad. He had initially announced his retirement from international cricket in July last year but quickly reversed that decision.
After participating in the ODIs against New Zealand at home, he was included in the World Cup squad. However, a fallout with the board and then-captain Shakib Al Hasan led to his exclusion from the tournament.
At 35, Tamim opted out of Bangladesh’s central contract list earlier this year, indicating the conclusion of his international career. Tamim Iqbal, now a commentator, recently discussed his challenging last year in an interview with Sportstar. He stated:
“More than one person was involved, and they all played their roles very cleverly. However, I can’t name them for obvious reasons. To this day, I haven’t blamed anyone, and I never will. They know what they did to me, and I know what they did, so let’s leave it at that. I believe in karma and don’t wish ill on anyone, because one day, it might come back to haunt me.”
Tamim is Bangladesh’s second all-time leading run-scorer, amassing 15,192 runs in 387 matches, which includes 25 centuries and 94 half-centuries. He holds the record for the most runs in ODIs for the team, with 8,357 runs in 243 games.
“Imagine if I were the successful captain of Bangladesh”- Tamim Iqbal on his sudden retirement
Tamim Iqbal elaborated on his comments about being sidelined by external factors, highlighting his successful stint as captain before his retirement. The veteran cricketer was leading Bangladesh during the ODI series against Afghanistan when he announced his retirement in July last year.
“Imagine I am the captain of Bangladesh and successful at that. I was performing well with the bat too, so everything seemed to be going my way. Then why did I suddenly retire? What really happened? Was it because I failed in just two or three games? No. Throughout my career, I’ve faced failures many times,” Tamim said in the same interview.
He further added:
“If my place in the team had been in question, that would have been a different situation, and retirement might have made sense. On the surface, everything appeared smooth, so why did I step away? There must have been something I didn’t enjoy, someone creating a situation that pushed me towards making this decision.”
Tamim Iqbal has an impressive record as Bangladesh’s captain in all formats, with 21 wins and 15 losses in 38 matches.
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