Amid the Asia Cup 2025, where the Bangladesh cricket team is in the Super Four stage, discussions are around the election process of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). The discussions got intensified after some statements issued by former national team captain Tamim Iqbal. He claimed that the government of Bangladesh was trying to influence the BCB election. Notably, he is a candidate for the upcoming election. Without naming anyone specifically, Tamim targeted the government. In Bangladesh, it was widely considered that the allegation from Tamim Iqbal was pointed towards youth and sports adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain.

Though Asif straightaway turned the allegations down, and he made a counterstatement as well, which was surprising. In an interview, dismissing Tamim's allegations on the government, Bhuyain, in reverse, said that certain quarters were seeking to exploit Tamim Iqbal to secure their own advantage. Terror activities are being carried out in Tamim’s name. 

"If you call the government’s routine activities interference, then one must first understand the extent of the government’s jurisdiction. If something is done beyond its mandate, you may call that unlawful interference, and you may take legal steps accordingly. If necessary, you can even approach the ICC (International Cricket Council) and inform them that guidelines are being violated here," Asif Mahmud said in a recent interview. 

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War of words between Tamim Iqbal and the advisor regarding the BCB election 

"If I am not mistaken, the election commission was formed on September 6. Once an election commission is in place, all matters must go through it. The deadlines for councillor nominations were first set for September 17, and suddenly, a message appeared in the BCB directors' group saying the deadline would be extended—first to September 19, and then to September 22," Iqbal said. 

"The first extension had some agreement among three or four directors, but the second extension was done solely by the BCB president, without consulting anyone else. He unilaterally extended the time." 

Mohammad Mithun, the new president of the Cricketers' Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB), said that former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal played a key role in bringing CWAB back to life. Mithun talked about how hard Tamim worked to bring together past and current players on one stage, restoring faith in the organisation after years of inactivity.

CWAB had been mostly inactive for a long time, with no elections and little activity. Tamim, Bangladesh’s star player, stepped up to help the association get back on track, giving players confidence and a sense of unity.

Tamim Iqbal Key in Bringing CWAB Back to Life

Speaking to the media, Mithun said, “Our biggest challenge was to restore players’ trust in CWAB. Many had lost faith, thinking the association no longer stood by them. Tamim Iqbal played the most important role in bringing both current and former players together.”

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Mithun added that Tamim put in a lot of time and effort for CWAB, even while busy with international cricket. His active participation encouraged former cricketers to join again, and younger players were inspired to get involved after seeing his dedication. “We owe him a special thanks. His work has been key in giving CWAB a fresh start. Both former and current players gained confidence to engage with CWAB because of him,” Mithun said.

Mithun Wins CWAB President Election, Other Posts Filled Smoothly

Out of 215 registered voters, 190 cast their ballots, either online or in person. Two votes were declared invalid. Mithun received 154 of the remaining votes, comfortably ahead of former cricketer and referee Salim Shahed, who got 34.

“I see CWAB and the BCB as one family,” Mithun told reporters. “The board is our guardian. If we have concerns, we should be able to raise them, and I hope the board will listen positively. My goal is to expand CWAB’s activities beyond Dhaka, so every cricketer feels this body belongs to them.”

Most other posts were filled without contest. Shahriar Hossain was confirmed as senior vice-president, and current wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan as vice-president. Executive members include Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rumana Ahmed, Khaled Mashud, and Imrul Kayes.

Bangladeshi cricketer Legend Tamim Iqbal suffered a heart attack during a Dhaka Premier League match on March 24, 2025, and is currently in critical condition. While playing for Mohommedan Sporting Club against Shinepukur Cricket Club, he collapsed shortly after the coin toss. At 36 years old, he has already retired from international cricket earlier this year.

He received on-field treatment before being taken to Fazilatunnesa Hospital in Savar. When he first arrived, the doctors thought it could be a minor heart complication, but that has since escalated into an emergency angioplasty to unclog arteries.

Tamim is reportedly on life support as per the Chief Medical Officer of the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB), Debashis Chowdhury. Although he has had some improvement in heart function, initial reports suggested he had regained consciousness and was showing signs of recovery; there is still great concern for his life. Fans have taken to social media to express their concern while pouring in prayers and well wishes. 

The way doctors saved cricketer Tamim Iqbal's life today by the will of Allah(SWT) was unnbelievable!

22 minutes of CPR.
3 DC shocks.
Then immediate stenting.

Thank you Dr. Moniruzzaman Maruf vai & his cardiac team for the immediate action. pic.twitter.com/0NkA1Vr1hs

— Dr. Rashed Jalil 🇧🇩 (@gemrashed) March 24, 2025

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Tamim Iqbal has not been declared dead, despite widespread fake rumors. He remains on life support after suffering a sudden massive heart attack, and now doctors are monitoring his critical condition.

Bangladesh owes part of its cricketing history to Tamim Iqbal, who has been successful at the international level, where he amassed over 15,000 international runs across all formats. He was the first Bangladeshi player to score a century in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup and made a major contribution to the team's growth in the world of cricket.

Confusions have been spread across social media that he has died, but the official sources are not giving any information. He is monitored by doctors, and no data about his condition is made public until the situation gets better.

Tamim Iqbal Suffers Heart Attack During Dhaka Premier League Match
Former Bangladesh cricket team captain Tamim Iqbal had a heart attack during a game in a Dhaka Premier League (DPL) fixture. This happened at BKSP Ground, Savar, when Tamim, playing for Mohammedan Sporting Club, was in the field against Shinepukur Cricket Club.

Match Details:

• Date: March 24, 2025​
• Venue: Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan No. 3 Ground, Savar​
• Format: 50-over match​

Medical Emergency and Hospitalization
Tamim felt chest pain and discomfort in the first innings. He was taken to a nearby hospital at once, where he was subjected to ECG tests and diagnosed with heart problem symptoms. His condition worsened later, and he was transferred to Fazilatunnesa Hospital, where he was placed on life support.

Tamim Iqbal suffers a heart attack during the Dhaka Premier League.

- Wishing him a speedy recovery! 🙏❤️ pic.twitter.com/fJgYIlgkTY

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 24, 2025

Cricket Career and Achievements
Tamim Iqbal, aged 36, is Bangladesh's finest cricketer. He began his international career in 2007 and played for more than 16 years. He is Bangladesh's top century-scorer with more than 15,000 runs in all formats and 25 international centuries. He retired from international cricket earlier this year.

🚨 Cricket Shocker!

Tamim Iqbal suffers a heart attack during a Dhaka Premier League match today. Wishing him a speedy recovery! 🙏#TamimIqbal #DPL pic.twitter.com/p6YHPu5Du8

— Cricketik 24×7 (@cricketik247) March 24, 2025

Former Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal has announced his international retirement for the second time. Tamim conveyed his decision to the Bangladesh selectors in Sylhet on Wednesday. The swashbuckling opener previously announced his retirement in July 2023 in an emotionally motivated press conference which also highlighted brewing tensions between him and Shakib just before the start of the ODI World Cup campaign. The decision was later reversed in a little under 24 hours following the intervention of Bangladesh's then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

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Tamim Iqbal confirms his international retirement on social media

With the Champions Trophy lurking around the corner, the selection committee, led by Gazi Ashraf Hossain advised him to return to Bangladesh's white-ball setup. Tamim wanted to call quits but after a couple of requests from Najmul Shanto and a few other players, Tamim took a little longer to make that decision.

But eventually, he remained resolute and stood firmly by his decision to retire. While announcing his decision to retire from international cricket, Tamim wrote on his Facebook account that he has long been away from international cricket and that distance will forever remain between him and cricket.

"I have been away from international cricket for a long time. That distance will remain. My chapter in international cricket is over. I have been thinking about this for a long time. Now that a big event like the Champions Trophy is coming up, I do not want to be the focus of anyone's attention, which could lead to the team losing their focus. Of course, I did not want this to happen before, too."

Furthermore, Tamim had also distanced himself from the central contracts for 2024 to keep himself out of Bangladesh's reckoning. However, there were conscious efforts from Shanto and other Bangladeshi players to make him return to the squad. But Tamim listened to his heart and chose not to give in to their requests. 

"Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto sincerely asked me to return to the team. There were discussions with the selection committee too. I am grateful to them for still considering me in the team. However, I have listened to my own heart."

Bangladesh's upcoming Champions Trophy schedule

Bangladesh are placed in Group A along with India, New Zealand, and Pakistan. They are slated to kick off their Champions Trophy campaign by playing their opening game against India on February 20 in Dubai. Then they will face New Zealand at Rawalpindi on February 24 and later Pakistan at the same venue on February 27. The deadline for announcing the Champions Trophy squads is January 12, and the BCB is still trying to wait till the last minute to see if Tamim wants to play. 

Former all-format Bangladeshi opener Imrul Kayes officially announced his retirement from the red-ball cricket arena via a video message on his Facebook page on Wednesday. In that video, the 37-year-old stated that the first-class game against Dhaka Division on November 16th will be the last game of his professional cricketing career in the longest format. However, he added that he will continue to feature in white-ball matches in the domestic arena.

In his now-viral video on social media, Kayes admitted that it was indeed a hard decision for him to quit red-ball cricket from an emotional perspective. 

"On November 16, I will retire from Test and first-class cricket. It is the most difficult and emotional decision of my life."

See also: Shakib Al Hasan reported for suspect bowling action while playing for Surrey

An overview of his record in Test and First-Class cricket

Kayes made his debut for Bangladesh at a very young age of 21 against New Zealand in a one-day international back in 2008. In his 11-year-long career, the Khulna-based batter went on to represent his national side across all three formats. However, he contributed the most in the ODI format. In 78 ODI innings, Kayes made some invaluable contributions at the top with his former opening partner Tamim Iqbal and churned 2434 runs at a healthy average of 32.02. Moreover, the most number of international centuries (four) came in this format alone.

The elegant left-handed opener was equally capable in the red-ball format too. Out of 39 Tests, batting predominantly at the top of the order and occasionally at No. 3, he piled up 1797 runs at a modest average of 24.28, with three centuries and four fifties. Kayes last featured in this format way back in 2019 in a day-night Test match at Eden Gardens where Bangladesh were handed a terrible hammering by the hosts India by an innings and 46 runs.

But his record in domestic FC cricket is by far the most formidable. After being involved in the domestic circuit for nearly two decades, Kayes has featured for his domestic side in as many as 137 FC games in which he amassed over 7000 runs with 20 centuries and 27 half-century scores to his name. These are some commendable stats and the former Bangladeshi top-order opener can certainly take pride in maintaining such an accomplished track record.

His opening partnership with Tamim Iqbal

More than his personal milestones, Kayes is highly renowned for the partnership that he shared with Tamim at the top of the order. The duo formed one of the most successful opening stands for Bangladesh in ODI and Test cricket. During Bangladesh's formative years, the pair would often get Bangladesh off to a blazing start with Tamim playing the role of the aggressor while Kayes would be keen to play the anchoring role to hold one end intact.

They remain Bangladesh's most prolific opening pair by far, having added 2336 runs in 53 innings. The second-best opening pair for Bangladesh is between Javed Omar and Nafees Iqbal who have added 665 runs between them.  The average first-wicket partnership between Imrul and Tamim amounts to 45.8 which is by far the best for any Bangladesh opening pair.

Imrul and Tamim notched up four century opening stands escorting Bangladesh out of precarious situations in quite a few instances. The first of the lot was an unbelievable 185-run stand at Lords on a difficult seaming wicket while the last one was a world record stand of 312 runs in the fourth innings against Pakistan in 2015 which helped the Tigers save the Test match despite conceding a mammoth lead of 296 runs. With that stand, the pair went on to register their names in the record books as that was the only 300-plus opening stand to have ever been recorded in the fourth innings of a Test match.

Imrul is currently 70 runs away from reaching the milestone of 8000 runs in first-class cricket. He will have the opportunity to achieve this accomplishment in Mirpur, where his final match is set to commence on November 16.

See also: ICC confirms Pakistan as Champions Trophy host amid India-Pakistan tensions

On Sunday, a BCB official revealed that Tamim Iqbal, the former ODI skipper of Bangladesh, has formally requested the Bangladesh Cricket Board not to include him in the upcoming central contract list. This appeal follows Tamim’s previous statement, indicating that he would determine the future of his international career after discussions with BCB President Nazmul Hassan. Their previous meeting was cut short due to the BCB president’s commitments to the upcoming general election campaign.

Tamim, who last played for Bangladesh in the three-match home ODI series against New Zealand in September before the ICC World Cup in India, participated in only one Test and 12 ODIs in 2023. The 34-year-old chose to make himself unavailable for the World Cup due to disagreements with BCB leadership and team management. Consequently, he did not feature in the home Test series against New Zealand or the ongoing tour.

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Despite his absence, Tamim clarified last month that he intends to make a comeback to competitive cricket through the upcoming Bangladesh Premier League, the nation’s exclusive franchise-based T20 tournament, scheduled to commence on January 19.

Jalal Yunus, the chairman of BCB cricket operations, shared that Tamim expressed his personal plans and requested not to be included in the central contract list. He further mentioned that Tamim is expected to meet with the BCB president after the national election to determine the subsequent steps. The finalization of the central contract list by BCB is anticipated by December 31, pending approval from the BCB president.

Tamim Iqbal, who recently returned to international cricket after a brief retirement, has once again faced uncertainty about his future in the sport. This uncertainty comes in the wake of various incidents just before the World Cup, prompting Tamim to enter a temporary retirement phase. The prolific cricketer’s future in international cricket is now hanging in the balance.

In a recent meeting with Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hasan Papon, Tamim discussed his future in the sport. Papon stated that a decision regarding Tamim’s future would be made after the conclusion of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Tamim, however, did not provide any official statement on the matter. Instead, he mentioned that he is making a return to the cricket field through the BPL.

Addressing the media at his residence, Tamim expressed, “I will probably start my cricket game from BPL. Then you might get an idea of what’s going on. I would never want to do this without another month, without another month. Dragging things unnecessarily… (I don’t want to). I have already made my decision, after many discussions with the board. They told me many things and I have to respect them too. Let’s wait till January, let me play BPL then there will be more discussion hopefully let’s see what happens.”

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As the Bangladesh cricket team commenced a two-match Test series against New Zealand, Tamim extended his best wishes to the team. Despite his potential absence, he emphasized his support for the team, stating, “Even if I don’t play, it’s our team, and I wish them all the best.”

The first match of the Test series took place at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on November 28. Tamim’s return to competitive cricket through the BPL remains a focal point, and further developments are anticipated after the conclusion of the league.

Bangladeshi captain & batting prowess Tamim Iqbal has just announced a reversal of his retirement decision, which had come a day after his declaration to retire from the sport. By this, we can infer he will be back donning the Bangladeshi colours in the upcoming matches. 

According to ESPN Cricinfo reports, Iqbal had talks with the Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, today at her residence. The conversation was held with his wife, Mashrafe Mortaza, former captain and Nazmul Hasan, BCB chief. From the reports, Tamim stated, “The honourable Prime Minister invited me to her residence this afternoon. We had a long discussion, after which she instructed me to return to cricket. I am withdrawing my retirement.”

Tamim also mentioned that he had been given a six-week break to recover from an injury spree. He said, “I can say no to anyone, but it is impossible to say no to the most important person in the country. Mashrafe bhai called me while Papon bhai [Hassan] was here. They were big factors [in the reversal]. The Prime Minister has also given me a break of a month and a half. I will complete my treatment and return to playing cricket.”

This comes after the left-hand batter shocked the world cricket fraternity when the left-handed batter announced an untimely retirement from international cricket at a press conference yesterday. Though the batter did not mention the exact reason before taking up the big decision, the cause could possibly be after an unfortunate loss by 17 runs through the D/L method on Wednesday against Afghanistan in the first encounter of the three-match ODI series.

Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal has been ruled out of the ODI series against India, which begins on December 4 in Mirpur, due to a groin injury. He is also in doubt for the Test series that begins on December 14 in Chattogram. Tamim picked up the injury during a warm-up match at the same venue on Wednesday. The first ODI will be held in Dhaka on Sunday. Followed by the second one at the same venue on December 7. The final match on December 10 in Chattogram.

Earlier on Thursday, fast bowler Taskin Ahmed was ruled out of the first ODI due to a back injury. “Tamim has a Grade 1 strain on his right groin which has been confirmed following an MRI,” Bangladesh team physio Bayjedul Islam Khan said. “We will maintain a conservative treatment protocol for him for two weeks after which his rehab will begin. Unfortunately it means he will not be available for the ODI series and will be doubtful for the Test series.”

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Not a happy start for Bangladesh, loses an experienced player before the series

The BCB are yet to name a captain or a replacement for Tamim. They have however called up Shoriful Islam as a back-up for Taskin from the Bangladesh A side who are currently playing against India A in Cox’s Bazar. “Taskin is out of the first ODI and we will know about his availability for the rest of the ODI series only after another fitness test,”. Bangladesh’s chief selector Minhajul Abedin told earlier on Thursday. Bangladesh team physio Bayjedul Islam Khan said. “We will maintain a conservative treatment protocol for him for two weeks after which his rehab will begin.

Taskin suffered the injury during a BCL match on November 20 for which he has been taking a pain-killer injection for the last few days. He has emerged as the bowling attack leader in the last 12 months after making a stellar comeback. But earlier this year, he was out of action for a few months due to a shoulder injury. He picked up the back injury during a BCL match on November 20. The first ODI will be held in Dhaka on Sunday followed by the second one at the same venue on December 7 and the final match on December 10 in Chattogram.