Bangladesh's fast bowler, Taskin Ahmed, recently addressed allegations of oversleeping and missing his team's T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 game against India. The controversy had been swirling, but Taskin and former skipper Shakib Al Hasan have now clarified the situation.
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What did Taskin Ahmed say?
Taskin denied the allegations as he claimed that his absence from the playing XI was not due to his tardiness but rather a decision based on team composition.
Speaking to Dhaka-based newspaper Ajker Patrika, the fast bowler said,
I was a little late, but I reached 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 up because I arrived late. I wasn't going to play anyway.
More: Was Taskin Ahmed dropped against India because he overslept and missed team bus?
What did Shakib Al Hasan say about Taskin Ahmed?
Supporting Taskin's clarification, Shakib shared similar thoughts and spoke about the bowler apologizing to the team.
He said,
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 apologized to the team, and everyone took it very normally. It was an unintentional mistake. It ended there.
Taskin Ahmed's statement and Shakib's support have put to rest the oversleeping allegations and clarified that the decision not to play him was based on team strategy, not tardiness.