“Parents should correct…”- Najmul Shanto fumes over BCB director’s ‘Indian agent’ comment on Tamim Iqbal

The Bangladesh Test captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, has slammed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director, M Najmul Islam, for his comments on the former captain and the expressive opening batter, Tamim Iqbal. The director faced heavy criticism after calling the southpaw an ‘Indian agent’ after Tamim urged the BCB to participate in the T20 World Cup 2026 in India.

Islam commented on Facebook before it was deleted later on. The controversy came after the BCCI instructed the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh’s left-arm pacer, Mustafizur Rahman, ahead of the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

See Also: Watch: Virat Kohli hilariously mimics Arshdeep Singh’s bowling style ahead of IND vs NZ 1st ODI

“Very sad, very sad because such comments were made about a cricketer, a former captain, and in my opinion, one of Bangladesh's most successful cricketers whom we grew up watching. As players, we expect respect, whether someone is a former captain, a regular player, successful or not. At the end of the day, a cricketer hopes for respect.” Shanto expressed, as quoted by Cricbuzz.

Najmul Hossain Shanto angry over BCB director’s comment on Tamim Iqbal

The BCB has sent two letters to the ICC, raising their specific concerns over travelling to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup. They also repeated the request to move India’s games to Sri Lanka, as the event is scheduled to begin on February 07.

“What hurts most is that the cricket board is supposed to be our guardian. We expect them to protect us. As a player, I cannot accept such a comment. Parents should correct you at home, not in front of everyone. So such a comment from someone who is supposed to be our guardian is very difficult to accept. I completely reject it as a player.” Shanto added.

Bangladesh will start their campaign at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, where they will play their three group-stage clashes against West Indies, Italy and England, before the team moves to the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai for their last group-stage game against Nepal on February 17.