England and Bangladesh are set to face each other in a bilateral ODI series for the first time since 2009/10, but the news dominating the headlines since the past few days involves two of Bangladesh’s biggest stars in Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal, and their cold relationship with each other on a personal front.
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While speculations regarding their alleged rift had been a topic for some months now, the Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan, during an interaction with Cricbuzz a couple of days ago decided to finally uncover the lid on the issue and spill the beans.
Hasan not only confirmed that the duo have not been in good terms with each other for quite some time now, but also mentioned how he had tried on a personal level to sort out the differences between the two, but to no avail.
“This is not a healthy dressing room, this I can guarantee you. This thing (rift between Shakib and Tamim), 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 (between them) at the moment. This is my observation,” remarked Hasan.
Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan fight
As per Bangladeshi media reports, the alleged rift between the two is not a novel development, but has been an open secret within the Bangladesh team dressing room for around a year-and-a-half.
While the exact reason for their differences is unknown, the BCB did intervene to address the matter a few months ago, and it has been learnt that Tamim was keen to make amends. However, there was no interest shown on Shakib’s end, despite the management making it very clear that the entire dressing room is getting negatively affected as a result of their cold war.
“We feel scared all the time. We fear that one of the seniors might take offence if he sees us speaking with the other senior. If I go out to eat with one, the other might not like it,” remarked one of the Bangladesh team players to a local media on the condition of anonymity.
Tamim Iqbal denies BCB president’s claims
Nazmul Hasan had further went on to claim that there have been the existence of certain factions within the team. “The biggest problem for Bangladesh cricket at the moment is this grouping and that is the reality. I don’t have a problem with anything else. I am only scared about this grouping and I only came to know about it in recent times,” remarked Hasan.
However, Tamil has explicitly denied the existence of any such groups, and even while indirectly admitting that things have gone South between him and Shakib, he is open to finding a solution to the same.
“I have been playing for Bangladesh for 17 years. In different times when the team wasn’t doing well, this term (grouping) was being used. I am not just saying it and I am quite a straightforward person, I have never seen it in my career,” Tamim remarked during the press briefing last Sunday, ahead of his side’s first ODI versus England.
The Bangladeshi began the briefing by stating that while donning the Bangladesh team jersey, his relationship with Shakib is all professional and ‘normal’, with the team’s interest being the topmost priority for them.
