Bangladesh Cricket Board Tuesday night named the 15-member squad for the upcoming Cricket World Cup minus opening batter Tamim Iqbal following yet another saga.
On the other hand, all-rounder Mahmudullah scripted a return to the side after months of uncertainty.
Bangladesh were the last of the 10 participating teams to declare the squad, and that too on the back of yet more chain of events involving BCB president Nazmul Hasan, One Day International captain Shakib al Hasan, head coach Chandika Hathurusingha and Tamim.
The story triggered Monday evening after rumors went wild on social and mainstream media of a possible dispute between Shakib and Tamim over physical fitness of the latter for the world event.
Such claims were soon brushed away as false but it was also reported that the BCB selection panel was in real confusion in including Tamim as he is still dealing with lower-back injury.
Reports of Shakib threatening the board to quit as captain if half-fit players are included in the World Cup were also established.
The scenario went drastically negative against star all-rounder Shakib after it was revealed Tuesday afternoon that the BCB obliged to his demand of also removing Nafees Iqbal – elder brother of Tamim – as the team manager for the flagship event.
Apparently, the agendas were discussed and decided Monday night in an emergency meeting between Nazmul, Shakib and Hathurusingha.
BCB’s chief of the national selection panel, Minhajul Abedin while explaining Tamim’s omission said the batter’s injury has been the main concern.
The former Bangladesh captain however, refrained from commenting on the events building up to the announcement of the squad.
“I am not aware of any such discussion [of Shakib demanding to not have Tamim in the squad]. The team we have declared is the result of a series of meetings between the selection panel, the captain, team management and others,” Minhajul explained.
“There has been concerns over his fitness due to the lower-back injury and that is the sole reason we have not kept him part of the squad,” he added.
It is understood that Tamim’s international cricket career has finally come to an end.
The southpaw had called it a day from international cricket in July owing to unhealthy events in the national dressing room.
Tamim though had to reverse his decision following the intervention of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and worked on his recovery.
He returned to the field with the just concluded three-match ODI series against New Zealand in Dhaka.
The first ODI of the series was washed out and in the second, Tamim got the opportunity to bat and scored 44 but that was in a losing cause.
Bangladesh in their opening game of the tournament will take on Afghanistan in Dharamshala on October 7.
Bangladesh will travel to Guwahati, India Wednesday for two practice matches of the World Cup, scheduled to be held this Friday and Monday against Sri Lanka and England respectively.
Bangladesh WC squad: Shakib al Hasan (captain), Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Mehedi Hasan Miraz, Towhid Hridoy, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Nasum Ahmed, Mahedi Hasan, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Mahmudullah
