Faruque Ahmed sets stage for Tamim Iqbal's potential comeback to International cricket

The newly appointed President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), Faruque Ahmed, has expressed a strong desire to see former captain Tamim Iqbal return to international cricket. 

Ahmed’s statement during his inaugural press conference at Dhaka's Shere Bangla National Stadium has sparked speculation about a possible comeback for the veteran opener, with hopes high for Tamim to continue playing for another two to three years.

“The relevant board department will see what he has to do to play for Bangladesh. I would like to see Tamim Iqbal play for two or three years more. Maybe ODI is his best format now. I think Tamim can tell you better whether he can play the longer format,” Faruque said.

Tamim Iqbal, who briefly retired last year before reversing his decision after an intervention from former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has remained absent from the international cricket since September 2023. 

Despite stepping away from ODI and Test formats in 2023 and T20Is in 2022, the former Bangladesh skipper has continued to play in domestic leagues such as the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and Dhaka Premier League (DPL).

Ahmed further expressed his intention to discuss Tamim’s future plans directly with him, acknowledging the leadership qualities of the former captain. 

“I want to speak to Tamim about his future plans. He is a former captain, so he definitely has leadership qualities. If he doesn't want to play, I will be happy to see him get involved with the board. He can serve us well on the board,” he said.

Tamim Iqbal, Bangladesh’s most successful ODI batter, has amassed 8,357 runs in 243 matches at an average of 36.62, including 14 centuries and 56 half-centuries. In Test cricket, he has scored 5,134 runs in 70 matches, with 10 centuries and 31 fifties. His T20I career includes 1,758 runs in 78 matches, with seven fifties and one century.