Bangladesh ODI skipper Tamim Iqbal partly denied all the talks of a rift with Shakib Al Hasan when he came to attend the press conference ahead of the first ODI against visitors England slated to be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on March 1.
Recently, the Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan mentioned that there is a rift between Tamim Iqbal and Shakib in an interaction with Cricbuzz. Tamim, during the presser told that he was ready for such questions and was not willing to shy away from talking about it.
"I was prepared since yesterday." "I have never seen so many journalists in one room. I knew these questions would come. It would have been very easy for me to say "no comments, lets move forward", but I think it was important to give my message to the journalists and fans. This is why I was happy to answer," said Tamim as quoted by Cricbuzz.
Tamim revealed that there are no issues between him and Shakib but also chose not to make any comments on what Nazmul Hassan said about the relationship between both players earlier.
"The important thing is when Shakib and I put on the Bangladesh jersey, when we are giving our best, if we are helping each other when we are leading the teams, nothing else matters. Whatever anyone is saying, whether we have coffee together, these things don't matter I can assure you that I always get his help as an ODI captain, and I am always there if he needs any suggestions in the Test team. When we bat together, or when we are celebrating his wicket, its absolutely normal," added Tamim.
"Everyone is my friend. I have dinner with Taskin (Ahmed), Taijul (Islam), (Mohammad) Mithun, (Najmul Hossain) Shanto, Mushfiq (Mushfiqur Rahim). It is a professional world where your relations won't be the same with everyone. It is exactly in our team. What matters most is our motive when we are out in the field."
Tamim acknowledged the fact that such talks shouldn't have come out in the public and also swept aside Hassan's claim that the environment in the team dressing room isn't healthy.
"Our team environment has been good for a number of years," he pointed out. "A happy dressing room allows one to achieve the type of results that you are seeing. We have been doing well in ODIs for five or six years, especially in the last five or six series. I think everything is very normal, as it was in the last 12 months.
"I have been playing for Bangladesh for 17 years. In different times when the team wasn't doing well, this term (grouping) was being used. I am not just saying it and I am quite a straightforward person, I have never seen it in my career. I don't know if it developed in the last six months when I wasn't with the team, but it doesn't seem like it.
I haven't seen anything in the last three or four days. We have been having fun, talking about the BPL, etc. Sadly when the team isn't doing well, this term comes up. Now the team is doing well. As far as I am concerned, everything is very fine."
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