DHAKA: Bangladesh’s interim cricket chief Tamim Iqbal has vowed to repair the country’s damaged reputation in the game, following the board’s dismissal over alleged “gross irregularities”.

Cricket and politics are intertwined in Bangladesh with the sport affected by the turmoil following the uprising in 2024 that ousted long-time ruler Sheikh Hasina.

A new government was elected in February and on Tuesday the National Sports Council said it had dissolved the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) after finding “gross irregularities” in its 2025 election.

An interim board was appointed, led by the 37-year-old former captain Tamim, who retired from international cricket in 2023.

“Our first and foremost duty is to restore the lost glory of Bangladesh cricket,” said Tamim.

“Our biggest priority is to amend the loss to our reputation in the last 18 months.”

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 IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders.

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

Tamim pledged to hold fair elections to replace his caretaker administration as soon as possible.

But sacked BCB president Aminul Islam insisted he was still in charge, calling the dissolution a “constitutional coup” and “government interference”.

“Such actions risk eroding investor confidence, threatening hosting rights and damaging Bangladesh’s standing within the international cricketing community,” said Aminul.

Tamim scored more than 15,000 runs for Bangladesh in a career spanning 15 years and remains the only Bangladeshi to make centuries in all three formats of international cricket.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2026