Defending champions Legends of Rupganj opener Tamim Iqbal said that players are not worried about the off-field trouble of the club are thoroughly concentrating on their job at hand in the ongoing Dhaka Premier League. Tamim made watchful 73 runs on Sunday enabling Legends reaching the Super League with a six-wicket win over Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
The holders risked the Super League phase with four consecutive losses before Tamim joined the side last week to bring them back on track with back-to-back wins.
Their on-field defeats coincided with off-the-field trouble as Bangladesh Cricket Board handed the club’s chairman Lutfar Rahman a life ban for his inflammatory comments against BCB high-ups after a game at the BKSP.
The decision came as a big blow for the team as unlike some other clubs, Legends are sole financed by Lutfar. The seasoned Tarikul Islam and Sabbir Rahman used to see the operational sides, but they were also banned alongside Lutfar.
‘See this, is an off field issue, it will always be there and if we get worried with this, then it won’t be right,’ said Tamim.
‘We are professional cricketers, so we are trying to focus on the reason why we were brought to this team, that’s what we are trying to do, playing good.’
‘Those officials may not be here but our responsibility is to play good, we are focusing on that.
‘We all talked, yes there are a number of things that happened off the field but it shouldn’t affect, that’s what we talked about,’ said Tamim.
Tamim said that the players are confident to bounce back in the Super League.
‘Maybe we are not going through a very good time. The kind of position we were in during the first few matches, we lost that. [But] with back to back wins, I am sure that the boys are very confident.’
Despite the club trailing the leaders Prime Bank Cricket Club by four points, with the later a match in hand, Tamim did not rule the chance of getting back into the title race.
‘Anything can happen in cricket, we are now going to the Super League, in the Super League, those who are at the top of the table, if they slip one or two matches then we may comeback,’ he said.
‘It’s very difficult. We have ourselves created such a position that now it depends on the other teams. They have to slip.
‘But cricket is an unpredictable game, so if we can win all the five matches, anything can happen,’ he said.
-With New Age input
