Former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza expressed his disappointment when Tamim Iqbal announced his sudden retirement from international cricket earlier this month. However, Mashrafe believes that once Tamim fully recovers from his back injury, he will return to his best form.

During an event at the Daffodil International University, Mashrafe stated, “Tamim didn’t fully disclose to me exactly what he was going through. But I was really disappointed to see Tamim so weak. He is an international cricketer, and many people had spoken up for him. Naturally, I never thought Tamim wouldn’t be able to stand up for himself. But sometimes people break down, and on those occasions, they require support.”

Tamim had announced his retirement from international cricket unexpectedly on July 6. However, less than 30 hours later, he reversed his decision after a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, where Mashrafe and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan were also present.

Mashrafe revealed that the Prime Minister urged Tamim to play in the World Cup, stating, “In this case, I will say that Tamim is really lucky. The honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called him, spoke with him, and brought him back to cricket. Not everyone is this fortunate.”

Despite the conclusion of the retirement saga, Tamim’s back injury continues to be a topic of discussion. Speculations surround whether Bangladesh will have a fully fit Tamim for the upcoming Asia Cup and the ICC World Cup.

Mashrafe, who played a significant role in Tamim’s decision reversal, believes that Tamim should only return to cricket once he has completely healed from his injury. He emphasized the need for Tamim to focus solely on his recovery and said, “Once he gets fit, I’m sure he will automatically score runs and return to his best form.”

Tamim expressed his desire for Mashrafe to be the mentor for the Bangladesh team in the next World Cup, and the Prime Minister has instructed Mashrafe to be prepared for the role.

However, Mashrafe remained non-committal about the proposition, stating, “That’s a different matter altogether. I don’t have anything set on my mind. I’ve said this before, I don’t have my mind set on anything. Whatever comes up tomorrow, I’ll do that then. I don’t have the time to think about what I’ll do after tomorrow.”

Regarding the role of a mentor, Mashrafe admitted uncertainty, saying, “What’s the benefit of having a mentor? Can you explain it to me? I don’t know why he (Mashrafe) is asking for it… I don’t know what a mentor is supposed to do. If that situation arises, then maybe I can say. Right now, if you ask me, I don’t have any answer to that question.”