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DHAKA: Bangladesh's chief selector Akram Khan resigned from his post on Wednesday, citing interference from the country's cricket board president in team selection for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Khan quit a day after Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Mustafa Kamal rejected the inclusion of star opener Tamim Iqbal in the 14-man squad for the one-day tournament starting in Dhaka on Sunday.
“Tamim was in our team because he is one of the best batsmen we have in Bangladesh,” Khan, a former national captain, told AFP. “But the president dropped him from the final list.
“His regular interference in team selection has made top players worried about their place in the national squad. I have resigned because I was not enjoying my job.”
Tamim, a nephew of Khan, is widely regarded as Bangladesh's best batsman.
He won the Wisden Cricketer magazine's Test Player of the Year award in 2010.
Tamim, who turns 23 later this month, has scored 3,115 runs in 109 one-day matches since his debut in 2007. He also has 1,748 Test runs from 24 matches.
But he was stripped of the vice-captaincy after Bangladesh's tour of Zimbabwe last year, reportedly due to indiscipline and arguments with the team management.
BCB spokesman Jalal Yunus confirmed Khan's resignation. The board president, a ruling party lawmaker, could not be reached for comment as he is away in England.
Khan has been the chief selector of the national team for the last eight months.
The Asia Cup, seen as a symbol of cricket supremacy in the continent, features defending champions India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and hosts Bangladesh.
