Interim chief Tamim Iqbal vows to restore image after Bangladesh Cricket Board is dissolved

The National Sports Council dissolved Bangladesh Cricket Board and named an 11-member ad-hoc committee led by the former cricketer to run the show.

Bangladesh cricket's ad-hoc chief Tamim Iqbal has vowed to repair the country's damaged reputation in the game after the National Sports Council (NSC) dissolved Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and named an 11-member ad-hoc committee led by the former cricketer to run the show.

Cricket and politics are intertwined in Bangladesh with the sport affected by the turmoil following the uprising in 2024 that ousted long-time ruler Sheikh Hasina.

A new government was elected in February and on Tuesday (April 7), the NSC said it had dissolved the BCB after finding "gross irregularities" in its 2025 election.

The 11 member ad-hoc committee led by the the 37-year-old includes includes Athar Ali Khan, Rashna Imam, Mirza Yasir Abbas, Syed Ibrahim Ahmed, Minhazul Abedin Nannu, Ishrafil Khusroo, Tanzim Choudhury, Salman Ispahani, Rafiqul Islam and Fahim Sinha.

Tamim who retired from international cricket in 2023, scored more than 15,000 runs in a career spanning 15 years and remains the only Bangladeshi to make centuries in all three formats of international cricket.

"Our first and foremost duty is to restore the lost glory of Bangladesh cricket," said Tamim.

"Our biggest priority is to amend the loss to our reputation in the last 18 months."

Under the previous board, Bangladesh refused to play in India at this year's T20 World Cup, citing security concerns after fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was dumped by Indian Premier League (IPL) team Kolkata Knight Riders.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) refused a Bangladesh request to play their matches in Sri Lanka and kicked them out of the tournament.

Tamim pledged to hold fair elections to replace his caretaker administration as soon as possible.

But sacked BCB president Aminul Islam, himself a former cricketer, insisted he was still in charge, calling the dissolution a "constitutional coup" and "government interference".

"Such actions risk eroding investor confidence, threatening hosting rights and damaging Bangladesh's standing within the international cricketing community," said Aminul.

However, NSC Director Aminul Ehsan, said the decision to dissolve BCB and put forth an ad-hoc committee was intimated to the ICC.

(With inputs from agencies)