Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal, a regular face in the commentary box during the ongoing India-Bangladesh series, expressed concerns that infrastructural shortcomings are hindering the development of Bangladesh cricket.
Tamim gave an interview to the Indian sports magazine, Sportstar, where he candidly discussed his retirement, potential return to international cricket, his relationship with Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh’s continued struggles in Test matches, and the factors impeding the cricketing progress of Bangladesh.
In the extensive interview, Tamim also addressed the possibility of a Bangladeshi coach leading the national team.
The former captain, who has scored over 15,000 runs and 25 centuries in international cricket, said that the lack of adequate facilities in Dhaka is a big factor to the slow development of Bangladesh cricket.
“I made my debut in 2006-2007, and as we speak in 2024, not a single new training facility has been developed in Dhaka over the past 17 years,” Tamim said while discussing the areas Bangladesh cricket needs to focus on for growth. “Some aspects in Bangladesh are fine, but most need to change.”
Tamim was critical of the board’s financial management. The previous board president, Nazmul Hasan, often boasted about the board having hundreds of crores of taka in the bank to indicate the financial strength of the board.
However, Tamim believes that instead of accumulating money in bank accounts, the board should invest it in developing infrastructure.
“The funniest thing is that when the BCB claims to have Rs 1200 crore in its bank account, it feels like a slap in the face,” Tamim said. “There shouldn’t be 1200 crore sitting idle; there should be 200 crore in the account, and the remaining 1000 should be invested in developing infrastructure.”
He added that corporate entities typically reinvest their earnings to facilitate growth, something the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) fails to do.
The left-handed batter also questioned the absence of another facility in Dhaka comparable to the one in Mirpur and advocated for the need for good quality pitches across the country.
“You definitely need a facility like Mirpur, and while I’m okay with playing to your strengths on certain pitches, it’s crucial to produce quality wickets at the domestic level as well,” he said. “This way, you can test your cricketers and prepare them for the international stage.”
Regarding his potential return to international cricket, Tamim said that there needs to be a clear path and purpose for him to consider it. He neither explicitly ruled out a return nor definitively confirmed it.
On his relationship with Shakib, Tamim remained somewhat vague and did not explicitly state what transpired between them to cause their relationship to deteriorate.
Furthermore, one of Bangladesh’s all-time best batters expressed his belief that Bangladesh currently lacks someone capable of being the head coach of the national team. He suggested that the board should recruit coaching staff for the national team at a 3070 ratio, with 30% being foreign coaches in top positions and the remaining 70% being local officials, allowing them to develop for a better future.
