Tamim opens ICC account in style

It was expected to be a learning curve for Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) newly-elected president Tamim Iqbal at the International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting in Scotland’s Edinburgh. But Tamim batted like his usual self.

Sources close to the development confirmed Daily Sun that Tamim showed enough composure during first day at office after being invited to attend the ICC Board meeting.

As a result, the BCB managed to avoid a hefty amount of compensation for TV rights purposes as they skipped the last edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Earlier, ICC through a statement assured that Bangladesh will not be punished for their refusal to play the 2026 T20 World Cup owing to security reasons.

"It is agreed that no financial, sporting or administrative penalty will be imposed on Bangladesh Cricket Board in relation to the current matter," the ICC said in a statement. "It is acknowledged that BCB retains the right to approach the Dispute Resolution Committee, should it choose to do so. This right exists under current ICC regulations and remains intact. The ICC's approach is guided by its principles of neutrality and fairness and reflects the shared objective of facilitative support rather than punishment."

It further noted, "As part of this understanding, an agreement has been reached that Bangladesh will host an ICC event prior to the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2031, subject to the usual ICC hosting processes, timelines and operational requirements. This reflects confidence in Bangladesh's capability as a host and reinforces the ICC's commitment to providing meaningful hosting opportunities across its membership to develop cricket in the country."

"The ICC, Pakistan Cricket Board and BCB, along with other Members, remain committed to continued dialogue, cooperation and constructive engagement in the best interests of the sport. All stakeholders acknowledge that the spirit of this understanding is to protect the integrity of the game and preserve unity within the cricket fraternity,” it added.

However, in that statement provided by the governing body of world cricket, there was no mention regarding broadcast rights compensation that the broadcasters claimed as they incurred losses after Bangladesh refused to play in the global event.

The issue of broadcaster compensation was raised during the ICC meeting and it is understood two countries wanted Bangladesh to pay the staggering figure which is more than USD3m, amounting to around Tk40 crores.

“Tamim handled the situation very well after he was asked to come up with his side of the story and now ICC decided that Bangladesh won’t have to compensate it rather they (ICC) will take up that responsibility,” an official well aware about the development confirmed Daily Sun, adding that the broadcasters are yet to know the exact amount that they will receive for non-participation of Bangladesh in the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Amid swirling speculation over his tenure, newly elected BCB president Tamim attended the ICC meeting in Scotland, putting on a composed public face despite the controversy back home.

Tamim himself shared a picture from the venue on his social media platform, seemingly brushing aside the speculation surrounding his presidency and signaling business as usual on the international stage.