Bangladesh cricketers 'stunned, shocked, and outraged' after BCB official calls ex-captain Tamim 'Indian agent'

Bangaldesh cricketers are citicising its own cricket board's finance committee chairman M Nazmul Islam's comments on former Bangaldesh skipper Tamim Iqbal over T20 World Cup 2026 boycott issue. In a recent interview, Tamim had asked Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to keep the future in mind over its to shift the T20 WC group stage matches out of India. Nazmul, then in a social media post, accused Tamim of 'being an Indian agent.' Reacting to BCB official's comments, Bangladesh cricketers' association were left 'stunned, shocked, and outraged.'

What Nazmul Islam had said about Tamim?

"This time, the people of Bangladesh witnessed, with their own eyes, the emergence of yet another proven Indian agent," Nazmul had wrote in a Facebook post after Tamim's interview with the Cricbuzz. The former Bangladesh skipper, during the chat, had said: "You have to consider where Bangladesh stands in world cricket and what the future of Bangladesh cricket could be and then make decisions accordingly."

How did Bangaldesh cricketers react?

Nazmul faced widespread ciriticism for his Facebook post with Cricketers' Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB), on Friday (Jan 9), issuing a statement which read: "Such a remark by a board official about the most successful opener in Bangladesh's history, who represented the country for 16 years, is utterly condemnable. Not only because it concerns a player like Tamim, but such comments about any cricketer of the country are unacceptable and insulting to the entire cricketing community."

Several cricketers also came in support of Tamim and criticed Nazmul for his comments.

"I hope the concerned authorities will consider the matter seriously and adopt a more responsible stance in the future," said Bangladesh bowler Taskin Ahmed in a social media post.

"The comment made by BCB director M Nazmul Islam regarding former national captain Tamim Iqbal is completely unacceptable and insulting to the country's cricketing community. Such behaviour towards a cricketer is in direct conflict with the board's responsibility and ethics," said Mominul Haq.

Later on Friday (Jan 9), Nazmul put up another Facebook post trying to justifiying his comments which read: "A legendary cricketer who scored 15,000 runs in international cricket wearing the Bangladesh jersey, is now batting in favour of India. This is purely my personal opinion. Please do not take this comment in any other way."