According to a BCB official on Sunday, Tamim Iqbal, the opener for Bangladesh, has asked the Bangladesh Cricket Board not to put him on the next central contract list.
The previous meeting between the former captain of the Indian domestic team and BCB President Nazmul Hassan ended prematurely since the BCB president was preoccupied with his campaign for the upcoming general election. Tamim had earlier stated that he would decide on his international future after speaking with Hassan.
Tamim played just one Test and twelve ODIs in 2023. He last played for Bangladesh during the three-match home ODI series against New Zealand in September, just before the ICC World Cup in India got underway.
After clashing with the BCB hierarchy and the team management, the 34-year-old decided to withdraw from the World Cup, and he did not play in either of the current New Zealand tour or the home Test series against the Kiwis.
But Tamim clarified last month that he intended to play competitive cricket again in the Bangladesh Premier League, which is set to begin on January 19 and is the nation’s first T20 league based on franchises.
“Tamim requested that his name not be included in the central contract list because he has his plan,” BCB cricket operations chairman Jalal Yunus remarked to reporters on Sunday at his office.
“To determine the next steps, he (Tamim) is scheduled to meet with the president of BCB following the national election. We’ll have to wait until then,” he continued. The BCB president will review and approve the central contract list before its finalization, which is scheduled for December 31st.