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Zimbabwe take control of Sylhet Test against Bangladesh

8 hrs ago

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hasan Papon met with the players today at the team hotel, before briefing the media.

The division between two senior cricketers, Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal, led to separate "groups" within the team, according to the BCB president, who made this statement in an explosive interview on Saturday.

In the interview, he made the claim that the conflict between the two celebrities had also led to an unsanitary dressing room. He clarified a few of his earlier statements when speaking to the media today.

"That the dressing room environment is not good is something I heard from outside. I heard about it the most from the media. Media personnel talk about it the most. I saw that everything was okay in the World Cup in Australia and did not hear of any dressing room problems. I haven't heard of anything before and what I have heard, Tamim said the same thing. I asked if they have any issues and they convinced me that it won't affect their game. That's what I said in the interview," he said.

He however shared his view on unhealthy dressing room further but opined that he have heard things, perhaps from the team management or others.

"I heard about these. When I was with the team [in person] I did not hear or think of these things. In the middle everyone started saying that the dressing room environment is not good. I don't know and haven't seen it. When I went to the last World Cup [Australia T20 WC] I didn't see any issue. Jalal [Yunus] was there and maybe there is something there. Tamim and Shakib were said to be best friends, now suddenly something has happened between them which cause an uncomfortable dressing room environment. There are many players in the team who are afraid of talking to someone. I mean they feel doubt. For instance 'if I talk to Shakib bhai, the other will feel that I am in Shakib bhai's group'. The problem was not there in the last World Cup. Tamim wasn't there but many were not there," he said.

He gave a hesitant response when asked why he claimed that there were groups within the team and who was instigating the divisions.

"I won't answer that now since there is a series ahead. But I will answer this later."

"I don't think [grouping] is always there. You will find very little of that in the national team. I feel that the 15 members that are in the national team should have the same kind of relationship amongst each other. That's what I keep thinking about. I will answer this later, I won't talk about it before a series" he stated about grouping.