"Wrestlemania 2024 main event!" - Top 10 funny memes after an alleged rift between senior Bangladesh players Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal
Veteran Bangladesh players Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal have been at loggerheads verbally over the past week. Things got tense after Tamim Iqbal was ignored for the 15-man 2023 World Cup squad of Bangladesh.
In a video shared on his Facebook account, Tamim revealed that a senior BCB official asked him to play in the middle order during the World Cup. The suggestion did not sit well with the opener, who does not have much experience playing down the order.
The southpaw felt that he was being forced to do things and then expressed his reluctance to be part of the dirty game.
Shakib Al Hasan was upset with Tamim's comments and termed his behaviour childish. He felt that the veteran opening batsman was being selfish and not acting in the best interests of the team. Referencing the career trajectory of Rohit Sharma to explain his stance, Shakib Al Hasan was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo:
"Someone like Rohit Sharma built his career from No. 7 to opener, scored 10,000-plus runs. If he sometimes bats at No. 3 or 4, would it be a big problem? It is totally childish. It is my bat, I will play. No one else can play.
"A player should bat at any position for the team. Team first. It doesn't make any difference if you have made 100 or 200, and the team loses. What can you do with personal achievement? You want to make a name for yourself? You are not thinking about the team at all."
Fans took note of the bad blood between the two Bangladesh superstars ahead of the World Cup. They expressed their reactions by sharing intriguing memes on social media platforms. Here are some of the best ones:
Shakib Al Hasan-led Bangladesh's schedule for the 2023 World Cup
Match 3: October 7 - Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, Dharamsala, 10.30 am IST
Match 7: October 10 - Bangladesh vs England, Dharamsala, 10.30 am IST
Match 11: October 13 - Bangladesh vs New Zealand, Chennai, 10.30 am IST
Match 17: October 19 - Bangladesh vs India, Pune, 2.00 pm IST
Match 23: October 24 - Bangladesh vs South Africa, Mumbai, 2.00 pm IST
Match 28: October 28 - Bangladesh vs Netherlands, Kolkata, 2.00 pm IST
Match 31: October 31 - Bangladesh vs Pakistan, Kolkata, 2.00 pm IST
Match 38: November 6 - Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, Delhi, 2.00 pm IST
Match 43: November 11 - Bangladesh vs Australia, Pune, 10.30 am IST
Bangladesh's World Cup 2023 squad: Shakib Al Hasan (c), Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Tanzid Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mehidy Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Tanzim Sakib, Nasum Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman.
Do you think Bangladesh can cause some upsets during the upcoming World Cup? Let us know your views in the comments section.