Tamim Iqbal denies rift with Shakib Al Hasan. he has refuted claims that there is a rift in the team and insists his relationship with leading all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is “very normal”
Tamim Iqbal Denies Schism in Team
Bangladesh Cricket team captain, Tamim Iqbal, has refuted claims that there is a rift in the team and insists his relationship with leading all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is “very normal”. The comments follow remarks made by Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan that the environment in the dressing room was not “healthy”.
A Happy Dressing Room Translates to Good Results
Tamim told reporters at a news conference in Dhaka that the team environment has been good for many years, and that a happy dressing room is key to achieving positive results. He said, “I think everything is very normal,” and emphasized that performance on the pitch was what mattered.
Tamim and Shakib Al Hasan have been teammates since the mid-2000s, and despite their formative days together, Nazmul Hassan suggested that there was a “grouping” problem between the two players. Hassan said “It’s not that I have not tried to sort it out. I have spoken with both of them, and I felt that it is not easy to settle the issues at the moment,”
Focus on Performance, Not Friendship
Tamim reiterated that his friendship with Shakib Al Hasan off the pitch does not affect their performance on it. He said, “The important thing when Shakib Al Hasan and I put on the Bangladesh jersey is whether we are giving our best and whether we are helping each other. When we are leading the teams, nothing else matters.”
Tamim will lead Bangladesh in the upcoming three-match ODI series against England, which begins with two matches at Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Wednesday and Friday. The third and final encounter will be at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on March 6.
Focus on True Wickets for Better Performance
Tamim said he expected to play on “true wickets” during the series against England, as the hosts generally offer visiting sides low and slow pitches, particularly those from outside the sub-continent. He added that the team had been discussing playing better on true wickets and was expecting mostly batting-friendly wickets in the World Cup.
