ICC T20 World Cup 2022: You Carried Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah For Whole Year, Then Why Exclude Them Just Before WC – Tamim Iqbal

Bangladesh National Cricket Team ODI captain Tamim Iqbal has questioned the non-selection of the senior players – Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah – in the squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.

On September 14, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, which will be played in Australia. Former Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah was the major omission in the 15-member lineup.

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Also, veteran wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim, who announced retirement from T20Is after a lengthy lean patch to “focus on Test and ODI formats of the game”, was not a part of Bangladesh’s World Cup squad.

Meanwhile, Iqbal said that the presence of Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah in the squad for a mega event like the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup would have been better for the Bangla Tigers.

“I told you earlier if Mushfiqur (Rahim), Riyad (Mahmudullah) were there in this big stage like the World Cup, then I think it would have been better. Since you carried such senior cricketers for the whole year, then why (exclude) them just before the World Cup,” Tamim told reporters at a private programme in a city hotel, as quoted by Cricbuzz.

The Bangladesh ODI captain further backed Afif Hossain and Yasir Ali to perform well for the side in the upcoming matches.

“At the same time, I will say that who are replacing them like Yasir Rabbi, is one whom I rate very highly… Afif is playing extremely well. The only request I can make, because that is the only thing I can do, and that is, we may have different opinions on who may or may not be in the side, but no one forces their way into the side and we should not write off someone before they even play a game.

“Maybe you can have questions regarding someone’s inclusion but someone else might have a plan about him and you must give him that chance,” he noted.

If someone is not performing in one or two games, instead of getting over him, we should support him – Tamim Iqbal

Tamim Iqbal further talked about Bangladesh’s new strategy under the guidance of technical consultant Sridharan Sriram in T20Is to try out makeshift openers like Mehidy Hasan and Sabbir Rahman.

He said that a new coach always brings with him new plans and if the first plan fails there is always a backup available. He also said that the players like Mehidy Hasan and Sabbir Rahman should not be criticised after failures in a few games and they need to be backed.

“Whenever a new coach comes, he comes up with a plan. Unfortunately, I have not worked with him (Sriram) as yet, so I am not aware of his mentality and plans. And without knowing if I say that openers should open it won’t be right, because I am part of that team, though I am not playing in the T20s, but I am playing Test and ODIs.

“I am sure there is a reason behind it or else why are they doing it? If it does not click, they should have other plans and I am sure they have it. If someone is not performing in one or two games, instead of getting over (criticising) him, we should support him, because all of us want to do well in the World Cup. If we can win two to three matches, it would be an achievement because Bangladesh have not won many matches in the World Cup. Let us all be positive and see what happens,” he said.

Iqbal further cited the example of India National Cricket Team captain Rohit Sharma starting as a middle-order batsman before thriving as an opener and becoming one of the all-time greats.

“I feel someone who opens should come out opening, but if there is any definite plan about it I cannot say that it is wrong. Rohit Sharma, one of the greatest openers in the history of the game, used to bat at five or six. Someone must have planned for him and he opened and now he has around 25 centuries to his name. So I cannot say that he won’t be able to make it, neither Miraj nor Sabbir, and we need to give them time,” he said.

Bangladesh Squad For T20 World Cup: Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Sabbir Rahman, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Afif Hossain, Mossadek Hossain, Litton Das, Yasir Ali, Nurul Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Saifuddin, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Najmul Hossain, Nasum Ahmed.

Standby: Soumya Sarkar, Shoriful Islam, Rishad Hossain, Shak Mahedi Hasan.

Also Read: Strongest India Playing XI For T20 World Cup 2022

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