Tamim Iqbal has been left out of Bangladesh’s Cricket World Cup squad.
The opener has endured a tumultuous few months. He retired from international cricket and then reversed his retirement in July, and then resigned from the captaincy in August, with a back issue driving both decisions.
Shakib Al Hasan, who replaced him as skipper, joined Tamim for a summit at the residence of Nazmul Hassan, president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), on the eve of the squad announcement. There, it is reported that Tamim suggested he would only be able to play up to five games at the Cricket World Cup, due to his back injury, something which Shakib was unwilling to accommodate.
Tamim had made a comeback to the ODI side this week for the first time since July, featuring in Bangladesh’s first two ODIs against New Zealand. He reported discomfort during the series, leading to his conversations with the team management. Tamim sat out the third game, with the BCB announcing Bangladesh’s squad after New Zealand completed a 2-0 series win.
The 34-year-old’s absence is significant for the Tigers. He is Bangladesh’s leading run-scorer in both international and ODI cricket, though he has averaged less than 30 from 12 ODIs in 2023.
The rest of Bangladesh’s squad is largely as expected. Bangladesh finished third at the recent Asia Cup, and were joint-second in the Cricket World Cup Super League.
Bangladesh’s 2023 Cricket World Cup squad: Shakib Al Hasan (C), Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed, Mahedi Hasan, Tanzid Hasan, Tanzim Hasan, Mahmudullah.
