Tamim Iqbal lashes out at BCB 'dirty game' after World Cup 2023: 'I was being forced to do many things'

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Tamim Iqbal has opened up on his World Cup 2023 snub and revealed that the team management and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) were forcing him to do many things and putting him in situations he has never been in his 17-year-long international cricket career.

Reports earlier on Tuesday, suggested that Tamim Iqbal had informed BCB about five World Cup matches keeping in mind his recurring back problem, to which Shakib Al Hasan responded by saying that he would boycott the event if BCB agreed to the former's demands.

A Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) member told The Daily Star that Shakib Al Hasan wasn't willing to be the captain in the World Cup 2023 as doesn't want to take any half-fit cricketer to the marquee ICC event which kick-starts from October in India.

Notably, Tamim Iqbal was Bangladesh ODI captain until early July before he announced a shock retirement and then withdrew it 24 hours later after an interference from Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina. However, Tamim relinquished his captaincy and missed the Asia Cup 2023 to get his back injury treated.

He returned for the 3-match ODI series against New Zealand and scored 44 off 58 in the second ODI but revealed that he was still facing pain and discomfort while batting. He was rested for the third ODI on his request.

You make me face something new every day: Tamim Iqbal

A day after facing the ax, the southpaw revealed that he was being asked to bat down the order in the upcoming World Cup 2023. Tamim Iqbal also stated that the management wanted him to play just a handful of matches.

“Someone called me from the top level of the board who is very involved with our cricket. He said that if you go to the World Cup you have to play the matches by managing your (back) injury. So, you better do one thing, don’t play the first match against Afghanistan (on October 7),” Tamim said in a video message posted on his Facebook page.

“I replied that the Afghanistan match is still 12/13 days away. In 12/13 days I will be in better condition. Why shouldn’t I play? Then, he 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. I feel like I’m being forced to do many things. I said, 'Look, if you have such thoughts then don’t send me. I don’t want to be in this mess. I don’t want to be part of this dirty game. You make me face something new every day. I don’t want to stay here’," he added.

'Medical team had confidence in my fitness'

Further, Tamim Iqbal asserted that he was ready to head into the world cup with a lot of confidence after scoring 44 runs in his comeback ODI match against New Zealand. He added that the medical team was also backing him to go out all guns blazing in the World Cup 2023 which kick starts from October 5. Bangladesh are scheduled to play their first match against Afghanistan on October 7.

"I was very happy after that game, 44 is not a big score but I was very happy at the way I batted. I felt confident," he said.

“The medical department believed that if I was rested and played the second warm-up match (against England) on October 2, I would get enough time (to prepare) ahead of the first World Cup match.

“I am sure chief selector Minhajul Abedin also denied the report that I told him that I would play five matches in the World Cup," he added.