Image Source: AFP
[Saba Sports News] In a recent development, Bangladesh’s star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan addressed the long-discussed rift with Tamim Iqbal, following widespread rumors of a fallout over the past year. In late February, Bangladesh Cricket Board head Nazmul Hasan confirmed the estrangement between the two senior players.
Tamim claimed their rapport did not affect team dynamics, while Shakib disagreed and addressed the controversy in a documentary aired by Bongo, a prominent Bangladeshi OTT
platform. Shakib suggested that Nazmul exacerbated the tension between them and that some stakeholders intentionally highlighted the rift to divert attention from broader issues in Bangladesh cricket.
“This thing [the relationship between Tamim and Shakib] came to focus after Papon [Nazmul Hasan] bhai spoke about it and it created a lot of problems. I think some people intended to keep it [the rift] in focus rather than the cricketing side,” Shakib said.
Shakib clarified that although there was a period of limited communication, it was inaccurate to suggest they were completely estranged. He explained that external factors like marriage and living arrangements caused their relationship to drift naturally. “For quite some time, we were not talking a lot. [But] it’s not right that we were not on talking terms. Both of us got married, we were staying separately in different places, and so there was very little time between us,” Shakib added.
He noted they had been close friends when living in the same building, but busy family schedules led to a gradual waning of their friendship. “We were staying in the same building on different floors [earlier], so certainly, that closeness starts to diminish as people start having separate family lives. Later, on the field, when we met, we spoke whenever we needed to, and I don’t think we need to have a lot of conversations apart from that,” Shakib shared.