Tamim wants to leave it behind
Asked what the highlight of his nine-month term as vice-captain was, Tamim Iqbal gave almost the perfect answer.
"I thought the title was very nice," he said with a big smile.
After the board's decision on Monday and the subsequent reactions of the erstwhile skipper Shakib Al Hasan and new coach Stuart Law, yesterday was Tamim's turn. He could have voiced his opinion, vented his frustration or perhaps protest at the Bangladesh Cricket Board's decision to sack him and Shakib Al Hasan of their job as vice-captain and captain.
Instead, Tamim was pragmatic with a hint of lament at the handling of the matter.
"I feel normal, to be very honest. I didn't ask for the vice-captaincy and neither did I hand it back. It was totally the board's decision. I am not worried and bothered about the reason [behind the board's decision]," he said after training at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
Aware that voicing opinion, venting frustration and protesting a hastily taken decision would amount to nothing in Bangladesh cricket, the left-handed opener was keen to move on.
"I am the happiest man in the world as long as I'm performing and playing for Bangladesh. If I play well and the board thinks I'm the right man, it will come back again. At this moment, maybe I'm not the right man so I'm fine with it.
"If they discussed it with me at least once, it would've been better. Even then, I have no complaints," said Tamim, who could earn the praise for being an active deputy since he was handed the job.
"There isn't much work for a vice-captain on the field but off it, I have done my duty and done well," he said, clearly of his ability to gee up the team when things weren't quite rosy for the Tigers, especially after the West Indies game in the World Cup. In his only tour as a vice-captain, Tamim gathered his team for most dinners in Harare and Bulawayo and is the most social member of the team.
Despite all the bonhomie, the sacking would put a tag on Tamim that could be hard to take off. He has offered full support to whoever the new man at the helm is but the truth remains that the board's impetuous judgment has ostensibly left him in limbo as he wasn't asked to give his version of events.
The opinion among many is that the board has only completed one part of the job and would use the sacking as a cover-up for their own mistakes. But Tamim didn't want to be drawn to any further controversies. "There are lots of other issues but at this moment, we should leave all these. We better start thinking of the upcoming series and we are all concerned about Bangladesh winning games and playing well," he said.
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