Bangladesh's selectors have delayed the announcement of their squad for the ICC Champions Trophy. The deadline for the announcement of squads is January 12 and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is willing to wait and see if Tamim Iqbal wants to make a comeback to international cricket having last played in September 2023. They are also waiting for Shakib Al Hasan's bowling action to be cleared as he remains suspended from bowling.
The chief selector, Gazi Ashraf Hossain, initiated the talks with Tamim, who is currently leading Fortune Barishal in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). He retired from international cricket in July 2023 only to reverse his decision after talks with then-Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Moreover, he also had a public fallout with Shakib Al Hasan, with the latter giving an explosive interview blasting the left-handed opener.
"We held a primary discussion with Tamim. We have to announce the Champions Trophy team by January 12, so we have a bit of time. We want to let him take time, not be in a hurry to decide. We have spoken to him on behalf of the board. The player has to come to a decision after speaking to his family, friends and well-wishers. He is also in the middle of a tournament so he will need a bit of time.
"We have four days left [before announcing the squad]. We have done our homework, so we know how things will shape up. We pay respect to a cricketer like Tamim Iqbal, so he can take his time before informing us. I think it's fair enough. The board is fine with this, so everyone now has to be patient," Hossain said.
Meanwhile, Shakib is awaiting the result of the second test of his bowling action from Chennai. He failed in his previous assessment from UK's Loughborough University and since then, has been suspended from bowling in top-flight domestic and international cricket. The all-rounder is in consideration to be picked for the Champions Trophy with BCB President Faruque Ahmed and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto giving a go-ahead for his selection.
A result on his bowling action is expected in a day or two which will enable BCB to make a final decision on his selection. As of now, it seems that the Bangladesh squad for the Champions Trophy will be announced on the deadline day with the selectors ready to wait on Tamim's decision as well.
