Former Bangladesh cricket captain, Tamim Iqbal, made a startling revelation on Wednesday (September 27), stating that he voluntarily withdrew himself from consideration for the upcoming World Cup. This decision came after he was allegedly asked by high-ranking officials of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to either skip the opening game against Afghanistan or bat lower down the order.

In a video message shared on his official Facebook page following his exclusion from the World Cup squad, the seasoned batsman expressed his dissatisfaction with what he described as a “dirty game” orchestrated by the BCB.

He said, ‘You shouldn’t play the opening game against Afghanistan.’ I responded by pointing out that there were still 10 to 12 days left, and within that timeframe, I would regain my fitness. So, I questioned why I should not play. That’s when he mentioned, ‘If you play, we are planning to send you down the batting order.'”

The cricketer explained his reluctance, stating, “You have to understand that I’ve been playing in the same batting position for the last 17 years, and I have never batted at positions three or four. Shifting my batting position so abruptly was something I couldn’t accept.

I had recently played a good innings against New Zealand and was pleased with my performance. However, these sudden changes were not something I could easily digest.”