Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan’s spat takes center stage as Mashrafe Mortaza criticizes Bangladesh Cricket Board

A new controversy is being surfaced in the Bangladesh cricket camp between the teams, captain and the top order batters. Reportedly, the Bangladeshi batter Tamim Iqbal and the team’s skipper Shakib Al Hasan have come out in the media to talk about the issue and have openly fired shots at each other. 

The dispute began in the heart of Tamim Iqbal, as he was excluded from Bangladesh’s 15 man squad for the ODI World Cup 2023. This was after receiving a heads up from the physio, after his injury, which led him to miss the Asia Cup. While labelling his exclusion as ‘ dirty politics in the board’, Tamim Iqbal targeted the board officials and captain. 

As per Iqbal, he was suddenly offered to bat at a lower position in the batting order which did not sit right with him considering he has played for the top position for more than a decade. The sudden change in the team‘s batting position did not impress Tamim and he openly talked about it in the media. 

Tamim Iqbal posted a video on his Facebook account while discussing his exclusion from the squad for the ODI World Cup 2023. “Someone called me from the top level of the board and said that if you play you have to bat down the order. After hearing this I am shocked as I have never in my 17-year career batted down the order”, said Tamim Iqbal which received mixed responses from the fans and the teammates. 

Mashrafe Mortaza criticised Shakib Al Hasan and the Bangladesh cricket board

While criticising the captain and the board, former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza discussed that Shakib could have messaged him to resolve the issue directly instead of coming out in the media. He added, “After Tamim announced retirement, the issue went even to the prime minister. She asked Tamim to play the World Cup and that’s why Tamim agreed to it. I don’t think any further discussion was needed for this especially from any BCB official. All these conversation with Tamim should have come after announcing the squad.”

Shakib Al Hasan addressed the media and opined about the issue. He openly criticised Tamim’s statement and rhetorically questioned if he believes that an individual is above the team and the combination should be made as per individual choices. 

“If someone has said this to him, was it wrong? Or we can’t make such a proposal? I am just going to tell someone that you can do whatever you want. Is the team first or the individual? No one else can play. A player should bat at any position for the team. Team first. It doesn’t make any difference if you have made 100 or 200, and the team loses. What can you do with personal achievement? You want to make a name for yourself?”, said Shakib Al Hasan. 

“You are not thinking about the team at all. People don’t understand these things. Why was the proposal given to him? It was for the team. What is wrong in that? You are a team man when you agree to such a proposal. Unless you are thinking along those lines, you are not a team man. You are playing for individual records, success, fame, and name. Not for the team,” he added.