Tamim Iqbal reluctant to play T20 internationals anymore, says BCB chief

Bangladesh's most successful batsman Tamim Iqbal has apparently ended his Twenty20 International career.

Nazmul Hassan says the experienced opener has asked the Bangladesh Cricket Board president not to force him to play in the shortest format of cricket.

Tamim pulled out of a T20 series against New Zealand and returned home after the One-Day Internationals in March last year citing “personal reasons”.

In September, he dropped out of the T20 World Cup, saying he took the decision because he had been away from T20 format for a long time.

Injury then ruled him out of the squad for a T20 series against Pakistan.

The left-hander returned through Bangladesh Cricket League recently and is currently playing in Bangladesh Premier League.

But after a BPL match on Saturday, Nazmul said he asked Tamim to return to the national T20 fold in a phone conversation. “I told him, ‘You are our best opener. You must be there [in the T20 squad].”

“He told me: “Please don't force me. I'll have to return if you insist. But I really don’t want to play in this format.”

“After hearing what he'd to say, I thought we shouldn't tell him anything else. If someone is unwilling to play, he should not be forced,” Nazmul said.

The Tigers are scheduled to play T20s against Afghanistan in February.

Tamim last played a T20 international match in March 2020 against Zimbabwe.

For Bangladesh, he played 74 T20Is and scored 1,701 runs at an average of 24.65 and a strike rate of 117.41. He also played four matches against the World XI.

Tamim is the only T20 centurion for Bangladesh.