Bangladesh Cricket Board (PCB) Finance Committee Chairman M Nazmul Islam has come under fire after he accused former national captain Tamim Iqbal of being an “Indian agent”.
The comments come after Tamim, in a recent interview, suggested that cricket should be prioritized above all else before taking a final decision on Bangladesh’s participation in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
His comments followed the BCCI’s decision not to travel to India for security reasons after BCCI asked Kolkata Knight Riders to drop Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL squad.
Nazmul’s post on Facebook soon attracted widespread backlash, with screenshots going viral on social media.
In it, he wrote: “This time, the people of Bangladesh saw with their own eyes the emergence of another proven Indian agent.”
The Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) on Friday condemned the comments, saying they were “totally unacceptable” and demanded a public apology from the board director.
“We are shocked and outraged by PCB Director M Nazmul Islam’s comments about former national captain Tamim Iqbal. Such comments about the most successful opener in Bangladesh’s history, who served the country for 16 years, are reprehensible,” CWAB said in a statement.
The association asserted that public allegations against any cricketer were “disgraceful to the cricketing community as a whole” and questioned the professionalism and code of conduct of board officials.
The CWAB confirmed that it had submitted a letter of protest to the BCB chairman demanding accountability and a public apology.
Many Bangladeshi cricketers took to social media to express their displeasure. Spinner Taijul Islam said, “I am shocked by the comments made by PCB Director M Nazmul Islam about former national captain Tamim Iqbal. Such words are tasteless, totally unacceptable and against our cricketing culture. I demand a public apology and appropriate accountability.”
Mominul Haq described the comment as an “insult to the country’s cricketing community” and criticized the board director for lacking basic decorum.
Taskin Ahmed echoed these concerns, saying such statements “will not help the development of Bangladeshi cricket” and called for responsible behavior from officials.
Later on Friday, Nazmul clarified in a Facebook post that his comments reflect his personal opinion.
He wrote, “A legendary cricketer who has scored 15,000 international runs for Bangladesh is now batting for India. This is purely my personal opinion. Please do not take this opinion in any other way.”