Tamim Iqbal, the former captain of Bangladesh, has decided not to run in the October 6 Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) election.
On Wednesday, October 1, the left-handed opener went to the BCB headquarters to formally withdraw his nomination papers. At a press conference later, Tamim Iqbal stated:
“As you are aware, we withdrew our nominations today. About 14–15 of us, including me, have withdrawn. And it’s extremely obvious why this pullout occurred. I don’t believe I have to explain anything or provide you with any details.”
Tamim Iqbal had previously expressed interest in standing for a director position in the BCB election, but he abruptly decided against it. He publicly accused the administration of meddling in the nomination process after it was filed.
“I have stated one thing from the start, and you are all now aware of it: the direction this election is taking or the manner in which it is being conducted. They are doing whatever they want to do and whatever feels right at the time. This isn’t really an election, is it? This has nothing to do with cricket, and it’s not an election.
When the Election Commission (EC) releases the list of those who withdrew today, you will undoubtedly recognise their names and realise that each of them is a formidable opponent with a sizable support base. This is how we express our refusal to participate in this squalor.
Tamim Iqbal emphasised that cricket in Bangladesh and its supporters are worthy of better.
“A lot has been said at various points in time, but ultimately, I believe that we cannot participate in this filth in any form. In addition, Tamim Iqbal stated, “I always repeat one thing: Bangladeshi cricket and its supporters do not deserve this too.
“Let me add that a lot more people would have withdrawn today; I’m not sure how many will acknowledge this. Various forms of coercion or persuasion have been used to get them to stop. However, many others would have withdrawn today. However, if I’m not mistaken, 15 people doing it today is a substantial number. Nearly half of them have pulled out. I’ll go into further depth with you about this later.
In his harsh critique, Tamim Iqbal referred to the election process as a disgrace to Bangladeshi cricket.
“You may win or lose, but cricket has completely lost today. It is without question. You make a strong case for ending election-related fixing in Bangladesh before considering ending cricket-related fixing.
“There’s nothing else I can say. I believe that everyone who was involved can clearly see what happened, when it happened, how they were involved, what kind of interference took place, and how the rules were adjusted whenever it was convenient. It’s also very obvious who is involved in this. I won’t say much more than this, but I will undoubtedly discuss this topic in the future, insha’Allah.”
He concluded his address by stating: “I will conclude by stating that the Bangladesh Cricket Board has been tarnished by this election. And I’m confident that everyone involved in this election knows that it wasn’t really an election at all. Please accept my gratitude; I have nothing more to say.
India
