Taskin Ahmed: The Controversy Surrounding His Exclusion from T20 World Cup Match Against India

During the T20 World Cup, Bangladeshi pacer Taskin Ahmed found himself in the middle of a controversy when he was allegedly dropped from the Super Eights clash against India. The reason cited was his oversleeping and missing the team bus. However, Taskin denied these claims, stating that his exclusion was due to team combination reasons.

The incident took place on June 22 in North Sound, Antigua, where Bangladesh suffered a defeat at the hands of India by a considerable margin of 50 runs. The Tigers made only one change to their playing XI, replacing Taskin with Jaker Ali.

In an interview with the Dhaka-based newspaper Ajker Patrika, Taskin clarified his position. He admitted being late but mentioned that he reached the ground around 30-40 minutes before the toss. He said, “I was a little late, but I reached the ground before the toss. I arrived at the ground around 30-40 minutes before the toss. I missed the team bus. The bus left the hotel at 8.35 am. I left for the ground at 8.43 am. I almost reached the ground with the bus. It is not as if they didn’t pick me because I arrived late. I wasn’t going to play anyway.”

Although Taskin apologized for his tardiness, veteran all-rounder and former captain Shakib Al Hasan explained that Taskin’s late arrival made it challenging for him to be selected. He said, “The bus usually leaves at a certain time. It is the rule that the team bus doesn’t wait for anyone. If by chance someone misses the bus, they can arrive in the managers’ car or a taxi. West Indies is a difficult place for transport. He arrived 5-10 minutes before the toss, so naturally, it was difficult for the team management to select him. It was also a difficult situation for the player. Taskin apologized to the team, and everyone took it very normally. It was an unintentional mistake. It ended there.”

Interestingly, no fine was imposed on Taskin for the incident. When asked about it, Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan mentioned that he had been informed by the team manager about Taskin missing the team bus but arriving late at the field.