Tamim Iqbal becomes Bangladesh's youngest cricket chief

Ex-Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal became the country's youngest cricket chief, weeks after he was appointed interim president and vowed to repair the sport's damaged reputation in the country.

Cricket and politics are intertwined in Bangladesh, and the game was affected by turmoil after the 2024 uprising that ousted long-term ruler Sheikh Hasina.

A new government elected in February dissolved the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) over alleged "gross irregularities" and appointed an interim board led by 37-year-old Tamim, who retired from international cricket in 2023.

Tamim was elected after topping a board election with 73 votes from 75 councillors, and led a 16-candidate field competing for 12 director positions.

Fahim Sinha, who received 66 votes, was named vice-president at the board's first meeting.

"We all have to keep one thing in mind, which is that the reputation damage that Bangladesh cricket has suffered worldwide, I alone cannot fix this," Tamim told reporters after the first meeting. "I will need everyone's support here," he added.

Under the previous board, Bangladesh refused to play in India at this year's T20 World Cup, citing security concerns after fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was dumped by Indian Premier League team Kolkata Knight Riders.

The International Cricket Council refused a Bangladesh request to play their matches in Sri Lanka and kicked them out of the tournament.

Tamim also vowed to restore the country's cricketing image following a turbulent period involving controversial decisions which led to the national team not participating in the T20 World Cup, and disputes involving the media.

"The players need to be respected as much as possible - not just current cricketers, but former cricketers too," Tamim said.

"Every stakeholder in Bangladesh cricket will be respected. It was maybe lacking in the BCB in the last one and a half years. We have to come together and fix this damaged reputation of Bangladesh cricket."

Tamim also addressed the issue of transparency and accountability, acknowledging the recent scrutiny of the BCB administration.

"I want to ensure maximum transparency. I am sure that all of us at the board are not going to do anything controversial. We want to work with full honesty. "I am sure we will make mistakes, but I look forward to seeing how quickly we rectify those mistakes."

Tamim is widely regarded as one of Bangladesh's all-time greatest players, having played 391 international matches for his country and scored over 15,000 international runs across all three formats of the game.

He captained the Bangladesh team 38 times and guided them to 21 wins, most notably an historic ODI series victory against South Africa in 2022.

Tamim continued to play domestic cricket after retiring from international cricket at the beginning of 2025, before he suffered a heart attack during a Dhaka Premier League match which marked an end to his playing career.

Agence France-Presse / IANS