Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan has left it on Tamim Iqbal to decide if the cricketer wants to play T20Is for Bangladesh.
Tamim removed himself from Bangladesh T20I fold citing various reasons ahead of the T20 World Cup last year.
Since then the BCB boss and a group of directors have been trying to convince Tamim to reconsider his decision and play the shortest format of cricket for the country.
Tamim is the current ODI captain and is also playing Tests.
Though the left-handed batter has decided not to play T20Is, he is yet to call retirement in the format.
Nazmul while speaking to the media Saturday informed that he had spoken to Tamim on the matter but doesn’t want to force him to change his decision.
“I had told him [Tamim] to come back to T20Is the last time I spoke to him. There is no reason for him to leave the format, he is our best opener and he must keep playing it. I spoke to him on phone and he had requested me that I should not force him and that it is not easy for him to say no to me. He seriously doesn’t want to play this format [T20I],” Nazmul informed.
“After this I thought it will not be wise to tell him anything further. It is not right to force someone to play a format if he is not willing to play,” the BCB chief added.
Bangladesh opener Tamim through a Facebook video message last September announced that he was not going to participate in the T20 World Cup in Oman and United Arab Emirates.
Tamim had then requested the selection panel not to consider him for the tournament as he has been away from the format for months and thought his inclusion may unjustly deprive players who are doing well currently.
Tamim made his T20I debut against Kenya in Nairobi in January 2007 and played the last match in this format against Zimbabwe in Mirpur in March 2020.
Tamim scored the only century in Bangladesh’s history in T20Is when he made 103 not out against Oman in Dharamsala in the 2016 T20 World Cup.
Tamim, the highest run getter for Bangladesh in Tests and ODIs, is the second highest run getter in T20Is with 1701 runs from 74 matches till date.
Since his last T20I and before Bangladesh’s home series against New Zealand last year, he missed 12 matches.
