Taskin Ahmed denies being dropped from India game for oversleeping and missing team bus, says 'I wasn't going...'
Taskin Ahmed denies being dropped from India game for oversleeping and missing team bus, says 'I wasn't going...'
NEW DELHI: Bangladeshi pacer Taskin Ahmed found himself embroiled in a controversy during the T20 World Cup when he was allegedly dropped from the crucial Super Eights clash against India due to oversleeping and missing the team bus. However, the player refuted these claims, stating that his exclusion was based on team combination reasons.
The incident in question occurred on June 22 in North Sound, Antigua, where Bangladesh lost the match against India by a substantial margin of 50 runs. The Tigers made only one change to their playing XI, replacing Taskin with Jaker Ali.
Taskin Ahmed, in an interview with the Dhaka-based newspaper Ajker Patrika, clarified his stance on the matter. He acknowledged being late but claimed to have arrived at the ground around 30-40 minutes before the toss.
"I was a little late, but I reached at 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," said the pacer, as quoted by PTI.
Despite Taskin's apology for his actions, veteran all-rounder and former captain Shakib Al Hasan expressed that the pacer's late arrival made it "difficult" for him to be selected.
"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 apologised to the team, and everyone took it very normally. It was an unintentional mistake. It ended there," the all-rounder stated.
Interestingly, no fine was levied on Taskin for the incident, according to reports. When questioned about the matter, Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan stated that he had received information from the team manager about Taskin missing the team bus but arriving late at the field.
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