Newly appointed Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Faruque Ahmed has expressed his interest in bringing back former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal. During his first press conference, Ahmed hinted at Tamim’s return to international cricket and mentioned that he would like to see the veteran opener continue playing for another two to three years.
Ahmed shared that the relevant board department will look into what needs to be done for Tamim to return to the national team. He emphasized that Tamim’s best format might still be ODIs, but it’s up to Tamim to decide if he can play longer formats. The discussions will also include Tamim’s future plans beyond playing, with Ahmed open to seeing him involved with the BCB in a leadership role if he decides to retire.
Last year, Tamim announced his retirement but reversed the decision after a conversation with former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. However, he hasn’t played international cricket since September 2023. Despite this, Tamim has been active in domestic leagues, including the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and Dhaka Premier League (DPL).
At 35, Tamim Iqbal remains Bangladesh’s most successful ODI batter, having scored 8,357 runs in 243 matches, with 14 centuries and 56 half-centuries. In Test cricket, he has accumulated 5,134 runs in 70 matches, including 10 centuries and 31 half-centuries. In T20Is, he has scored 1,758 runs in 78 matches, with seven fifties and one century.