Tamim Sets High Standards for Potential Return to National Team
Former Bangladesh one-day international captain Tamim Iqbal said a lot of things need to be right if he is to return in the nation outfit again.
The southpaw made the statement after he led Fortune Barishal to their maiden Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 title.
Tamim finished as the highest run-scorer and the player of the tournament as his side Barishal defeated four-times champions Comilla Victorians in the finale of the 10th BPL at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium Friday.
Left-handed opener Tamim has been part of a saga since he announced international retirement last year.
He had reverted his decision within a day after the intervention of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina only to return to his old stance again on the back of dressing-room incidents and missing out on the Cricket World Cup 2023.
The last development saw Tamim opt himself out from consideration of the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s central contract.
Lot of talks have been ongoing in the cricket arena over his future in international cricket as Tamim waits to sit for a productive discussion with the Bangladesh Cricket Board high-ups.
The 34-year old in the post-match press meet of the BPL final informed that he has been in touch with the officials and will sit again in the coming days.
“I haven’t spoken to the new chief selector [Gazi Ashraf] yet. I was in communication with Jalal bhai (Jalal Yunus, BCB cricket operations committee chairman). I was available for a talk but unfortunately, we didn’t get the opportunity but I was in contact with him,” said Tamim.
“I will be travelling abroad [Saturday] and hopefully after I return, we will have a sit. I would like to say one thing clearly, for me to come back a lot of things has to be right otherwise there’s no point for me to just coming back and play. I am in a stage of my career where I would probably pay for another two years. So, I need to tell them such things and since I did not have a final talk with them it won’t be appropriate for me to comment here,” he added.
Many in the cricket fraternity are considering Tamim’s superlative performance with the bat in the just concluded BPL as a reply to the critics and individuals who played pivotal role in shaking his presence in the Bangladesh national team set-up.
Tamim however, brushed off the claim and said: “To be honest if I had thought of answering the critics, I might not have been able to perform this way. I never thought of giving an answer because doing that will be adding pressure on myself.
“If my career was of say three years then I might have thought about it as whatever I did it’s there for everyone to see. When I got involved with this team my intention was to create a good environment like the way I enjoy the most. Everyone has made huge contribution in this team [Barishal] and so we got the result. The team environment has just been excellent.”
