Cricket

Bangladesh pacer Taskin Ahmed clears air on absence during T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 game

July 4, 2024

Taskin Ahmed, Bangladesh‘s vice-captain and fast bowler, has addressed the speculation surrounding his absence from the team during their Super Eight match against India in the T20 World Cup 2024. Reports had suggested that Taskin was dropped from the lineup due to missing the team bus, but he clarified that this was not the reason behind his exclusion.

Taskin Ahmed’s clarification

Speaking to Dhaka-based newspaper Ajker Patrika, Taskin revealed that although he did miss the team bus, he arrived at the ground approximately 30-40 minutes before the toss.

He explained that despite his timely arrival, he was not slated to play in the game due to team composition decisions. Bangladesh opted to include Jaker Ali instead of Taskin for the crucial encounter against India, where Mahedi Hasan and Shakib Al Hasan opened the bowling.

“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 up because I arrived late. I wasn’t going to play anyway.” Taskin said.

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Shakib Al Hasan’s insights and reaction of the team

Meanwhile, contradictory to Taskin’s remarks, Shakib, a senior member and captain of the team, provided insights into the incident surrounding Taskin’s absence. He revealed that Taskin apologized to the team for his late arrival, emphasizing that it was an unintentional mistake stemming from logistical challenges in the West Indies. However Shakib acknowledged that Taskin’s delayed arrival had made his selection for the match against India more difficult.

“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 apologised to the team, and everyone took it very normally. It was an unintentional mistake. It ended there,” Shakib was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

Taskin’s performance and Bangladesh’s tournament outcome

Despite missing the India game, Taskin returned to the lineup for Bangladesh’s subsequent match against Afghanistan on June 24. He performed well, taking 1 wicket for 12 runs in his four overs. Throughout the tournament, Taskin amassed eight wickets in six innings, averaging 17.12 with an economy rate of 6.42.

Bangladesh’s campaign in the T20 World Cup ended with a disappointment, losing to Afghanistan after failing to chase down 116 runs in 12.1 overs, which resulted in their elimination from the tournament despite having a chance to qualify for the semi-finals.