Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan said on Saturday (January 22) that opener Tamim Iqbal is unlikely to feature in T20 internationals in future as he is not keen on playing the format.Tamim, who missed a string of T20s due to injuries, showcased his credentials in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League, hitting back-to-back half-centuries for Minister Dhaka in their opening two games.With the next ICC World T20 scheduled this year, the stage was set for Tamim to return to the format during the home series against Afghanistan.
However, Nazmul stated that the board doesn't want to push any player to play a particular format. "Tamim has played well and he is always good," Nazmul told reporters on Saturday. "When I spoke with him last time you can say I requested him to make a return into T20Is. I have spoken with him on telephone and he just said 'please don't push me because if you push me naturally I will have to return but I don't want to play in this format'. After listening to this I felt there is no point asking him (to reconsider his decision) because if someone does not want to play any format there is no point forcing him to play,'' he said. Tamim Iqbal has played 78 T20Is for the Bangladesh side and has amassed 1758 runs at an average of 24.08 and a strike rate of close to 120. The 32-year-old left-hander has also scored a hundred and 7 fifties in T20I cricket. In fact, Iqbal is the 3rd highest run-scorer for the Bangladesh side in the T20I format of the game. He has also played 219 ODIs and 64 Tests for his country as well.
