Tamim will 'undoubtedly' lead Bangladesh in World Cup, says BCB president
"I'm telling you a simple thing. Tamim will be our captain in the World Cup. There is no doubt about that. Litton [Das] captained in the two matches where Tamim wasn't available. If Tamim returns, he will be the captain. If he doesn’t, someone else will. We are not sure when he'll be available," Nazmul said.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan said Tamim Iqbal will "undoubtedly" captain Bangladesh in the World Cup if he returns to action. His comment came hours after reports suggesting Tamim might require a surgery that could keep him away for around four months.
"I'm telling you a simple thing. Tamim will be our captain in the World Cup. There is no doubt about that. Litton [Das] captained in the two matches where Tamim wasn't available. If Tamim returns, he will be the captain. If he doesn't, someone else will. We are not sure when he'll be available," Nazmul said.
In a recent interview, Tamim questioned the fitness drills he was given by the BCB medical team. "My [back] pain recurred while doing the drills at the gym. Shouldn't I ask why it happened? Was the exercise appropriate for me? Why did I do the drills which I wasn't supposed to do? Why was I not given the drills that wouldn't aggravate my injury? It should be investigated," the veteran told bdnews24.
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Nazmul said he had no idea why Tamim said that and added that the BCB would do "whatever it takes" to make him recover.
"I don't know why Tamim said that. Do they [medical team] want him injured? For the last two years, we have done whatever he has asked for regarding the injury. I didn't know he had any other problem. Now he's saying he needs surgery or [he can play taking] injections. We'll do whatever it takes to make him recover," he concluded.
In the same interview, he said he would have a discussion regarding his return and captaincy with cricket operations chairman Jalal Yunus on his return to the country. But long before that meeting, Nazmul announced that Tamim would lead the side in India.
Tamim earlier reversed his decision to retire after a meeting with the country's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He requested the PM to grant Mashrafe Mortaza, former captain and now a Member of the Parliament, a leave so that he could travel with the team as a mentor in the World Cup.
"No way I am revealing what was the conversation there," Nazmul said. "Let it stay where it took place. It shouldn't come out".
