T20 World Cup 2024: 'Wasn't Going to Play Anyway' - Taskin Ahmed Denies Late Arrival as Reason For Being Dropped vs India

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Bangladesh vice captain Taskin Ahmed was accussed of arriving late for T20 World Cup 2024 match against India, but the pacer denies those charges, saying he wasn't going to play anyway for team combination reasons, and was only late by a few minutes.

Bangladesh allegedly dropped Taskin from the crucial Super Eights clash as he overslept and missed the team bus for the clash at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua on June 22.

The Tigers, who made just the one change from their previous game with Jaker Ali replacing Taskin, eventually lost the game by 50 runs against India, denting their chances of a semi-final spot.

"I was a little late, but I reached at the ground before the toss. I arrived at the ground around 30-40 minutes before the toss. I missed the team bus. The bus left the hotel at 8.35 AM," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Taskin as saying to Dhaka-based newspaper Ajker Patrika.

"I left for the ground at 8.43 AM. I almost reached the ground with the bus. It is not as if they didn't pick me because I arrived late. I wasn't going to play anyway," he added.

Although Taskin apologised for his actions, veteran all-rounder and former captain Shakib Al Hasan said the pacer's late arrival made it "difficult" for him to be selected.

"The bus usually leaves at a certain time. It is the rule that the team bus doesn't wait for anyone," Shakib told reporters on Tuesday (July 2).

"If by chance someone misses the bus, they can arrive in the managers' car or a taxi. West Indies is a difficult place for transport. He arrived 5-10 minutes before the toss, so naturally it was difficult for the team management to select him.

"It was also a difficult situation for the player. Taskin apologised to the team, and everyone took it very normally. It was an unintentional mistake. It ended there." According to the report, there was no fine levied on Taskin for the incident.

When questioned about the incident, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan, said, "When I saw that Taskin wasn't in the XI, I called (team manager) Rabeed (Imam), who told me that Taskin missed the team bus," Hassan said.

"But (Rabeed said that) he is now in the field, he arrived a bit late. "I will read the report from the concerned department."

After missing out on India match, Taskin made his way back into the playing XI for Bangladesh's next game, against Afghanistan on June 24, when the Tigers suffered a loss in a low-scoring game and ended the Super Eights without a win.