Obviously will talk to Shakib, Mashrafe when we meet: Tamim

Fortune Barishal skipper Tamim Iqbal said that he would talk to Bangladesh's all-format captain Shakib Al Hasan when he was asked whether he would congratulate the all-rounder and former Tigers skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza on winning the polls in the recently concluded general elections. 

"I haven't met either of them yet but when I meet them obviously, we will talk. Let's see," he told the reporters after a practice session at PKSP on Thursday.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan Papon said in an interview that Shakib and Tamim do not talk and the news about the souring relationship between the two players had created a storm in the media leading up the World Cup. 

Tamim took a break after opting out of the World Cup in 2023 November and is set to return to action with the BPL. 

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With cricketers such as Mashrafe and Shakib taking part in politics, Tamim, too, had to field questions asking whether he had any political aspirations.

While surprised by the question initially, he recollected his thoughts and his reply suggested that he was not completely writing off politics.

"It's a very risky thing to say. I'll say no for now and then in 10 years you would bring it up and show me that I had said no," Tamim explained. "So, never say no to anything. As of now, I don't have any such plan."

Tamim said that his main goal would be to make 2022 finalists Fortune Barishal champions.

"My personal goal is to make the team win. If we can take this side all the way, that's probably the best thing I can give back to the franchise," he said.

With the BCB president having conveyed his wish to step down as soon as possible, there has been plenty of speculation regarding who will take the BCB hot seat. Tamim too was asked about becoming BCB president but said it was something that did not appeal to him.

"It's not something for me. You never say no to what the future holds. If the Almighty has something for me, it would happen automatically. It's not something I can forcefully ask for," he concluded.