'Where’s my money, Pilot bhai?’
Bangladesh ODI skipper Tamim Iqbal hosted a Facebook live chat show featuring Bangladesh's three former cricketers Minhajul Abedin, Akram Khan and Khaled Masud with Pakistan legend Wasim Akram making a cameo appearance as special guest on Tuesday night. And Tamim, who is doing these live shows to entertain fans during the ongoing coronavirus crisis, did not forget to ask Masud for the money that Tamim thought he was owed.
It was during Bangladesh's tour of New Zealand in February last year that Masud had made a promise to Tamim but evidently failed to keep it. And Tamim, albeit jokingly, exposed Masud and asked for justice from Akram and Minhajul as both former cricketers now work for the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). Akram is the BCB Cricket Operations Committee Chairman while Minhajul is the BCB's chief selector.
"[Khaled Masud] Pilot bhai, I won't ask you anything about cricket. Now is the time for people to know how you are. Pilot bhai went as a manager on our New Zealand tour, the tour where we survived a tragic incident [the infamous Christchurch mosque attack]. I would request the two of you [Minhajul and Akram] to be the judge and listen intently to what I am about to say as you are with the BCB. So, we played the ODI series badly and then Pilot bhai announced that whoever will score a century in the Test series will be rewarded Tk 1 lakh. I scored a century on the very first day but I did not get my money. So Pilot bhai, where is my money?" Tamim, laughing mischievously, asked the former wicketkeeper-batsman.
Masud however gave his own explanation.
"Tamim, at times, to make players play well, we need to say things like this. I actually told this to Tamim as the New Zealand tour was a very tough tour for us. So, I just wanted for everyone to do their best in any way possible. I wanted players to give their best and any individual brilliance would see the team do better. That's why I said it and I also knew that if anyone smashes a hundred then it would be Tamim, and then pester me about the money," Masud explained.
However, Tamim would just not agree as he laughed and kept saying, "Give me my money, Pilot bhai."
Meanwhile, Akram, who is also Tamim's uncle, explained how Tamim had called him from New Zealand and said how Masud has been avoiding Tamim ever since he scored a century in the first Test against New Zealand.
"Tamim called me and said 'Chacha, Pilot bhai said that whoever smashes a century will get Tk 1 lakh from him'. And then I asked Tamim, 'So, why is he not giving it?'. Tamim replied, 'Chacha, if I go to the left then he [Masud] goes to the right and if I go to the right then he goes to the left'."
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