'My duty was to bring Tamim to PM so that he could tell her what was on his mind'

Tamim Iqbal replaced Mashrafe Mortaza as Bangladesh's ODI captain when the latter stepped down from his role. Tamim is a good mate of Mashrafe and was a long-time teammate. Probably that's why the Prime Minister communicated to Tamim through Mashrafe when everyone, even the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan, failed to contact him.

Tamim responded to Mashrafe's call and headed to Ganabhaban to meet the PM. Mashrafe and Tamim's wife Ayesha Iqbal accompanied him there and they were joined by Nazmul. After a meeting of as long as three hours or so, Tamim decided to change his decision. 

Mashrafe, who worked as the mediator, believes Tamim must prove his decision right by becoming fit. The former captain spoke to The Business Standard (TBS) at length about what went into it before Tamim's change of heart.

"The honourable PM wanted Tamim to have a heart-to-heart to talk with her. I told her that I was going to bring him to her. It was my duty. I wanted him to tell her what was on his mind. The PM had something to say too," Mashrafe said.

Mashrafe said he couldn't have wished for a better solution. "What I want is a completely different discussion. When the PM speaks, I don't have anything else to say. My role was to be the mediator. The solution couldn't have been better. [I want him to return] as a physically and mentally fit athlete. But you cannot just retire like that," he mentioned. 

Mashrafe told Tamim in front of the PM to train accordingly and get fit. "My suggestion is to train hard and get fit. Onus is completely on him now. I told him in front of the PM, 'You've scored 15,000 international runs. Your character has to have the strength. You cannot play cricket when you are hesitant. There is no place for emotion here. If you retire like this, no one will remember you after three months."

"I also told him, 'It's a matter of pride to play for the country, you have to feel it. You have to be grateful to Bangladesh cricket, not the other way round. If you cannot absorb the pressure, it's better for you to retire.' He might feel bad but cricket is not an easy game. Tamim though has taken it positively," Mashrafe added.

In a 20-year career, Mashrafe has seen a lot and a lot of this advice was from experience. "A lot happens in Bangladesh cricket. There will be problems with the board or the coach. In my 20-year career and those 5-6 years of captaincy, I have seen a lot," concluded the former captain.