Image Source- BCB
A day after being cut from Bangladesh’s World Cup
team, Tamim Iqbal criticised the BCB, claiming that he would have been healthy
in time for the competition and that the board had “intentionally”
made things difficult for him in the days before the squad announcement.
Tamim, 34, claimed in a video posted on his Facebook
page that he told a senior BCB official that he did not want to play for the
World Cup team while the organisation was “creating one barrier after
another”.
Tamim’s recurring back issue was cited as the cause
for his exclusion by Bangladesh’s top selector Minhajul Abedin, who also added
that after the second ODI against New Zealand last week, medical personnel
recommended Tamim take a break.
Tamim’s dissatisfaction stems in part from the BCB
president Nazmul Hassan criticising him for informing the public he was playing
even though he wasn’t fully healthy. Hassan stated that they wouldn’t risk a
player if he wasn’t physically ready and that if Tamim was on the squad sheet
that showed he was ready while Bangladesh was in the middle of an ODI series
against Afghanistan.
In his video, Tamim opened up about that incident –
which led to him retiring for a brief while – and said it was part of the
reason he felt he needed to tell the selectors about his condition.
“I told the selectors (after the second ODI
against New Zealand) that this is what my body is going to be. I will have a
bit of pain. So when you select the team, keep this in mind,” he said.
“There’s a reason for that too. If you remember that match after which I
retired, there was a concern about my injury. When I spoke to the physio and
coach, they agreed that I should play the first game (against Afghanistan on
July 5). I am sure you know what was said in the media at the time: if he is
not fit, he shouldn’t play. I found it surprising because we had all agreed
(that I was going to play).
“(This time) I didn’t want to create another
controversy, which is why from my side, with full honesty, I told the selectors
that keep my injury in mind when selecting me. The reason was I could play all
nine matches in the World Cup without a problem. The World Cup fixtures have
gaps of at least three or four days apart from the first two games. Any healthy
person could get injured after two matches. He is sent home. A replacement is
sent in his place. You can always take a replacement when someone is injured. I
told (the selectors) clearly.”
“The physio report said that I had pain after the
first and second match: ‘On the basis of today’s assessment, he is available
for the match on September 26.’ But the medical department felt that if I rest
on September 26, since we are traveling on the next day, we have a practice
game on September 28 [29], and then another practice game on October 1 or 2′.
“They said if I rest for the September 26th ODI
and play the second practice match before the first (World Cup) game, I will
have enough time. By this time I will have two weeks of rehab. Overall, I will
complete ten weeks of rehab. So I will be in a much better position to play the
first game (of the World Cup). This was exactly on the report.”
Tamim ended the 12-minute video saying it was an
“intentional” attempt from the BCB to remove him from the Bangladesh
team. “There can be the odd incident. The next incident can be a
misunderstanding. But if there are seven or eight such incidents, then it is
intentional.”