Tamim Iqbal squashes rumours of being a target of an attempted hate crime

Bangladesh cricketer Tamim Iqbal took to Twitter to dismiss the spreading rumours that he left the NatWest T20 Blast because of being a target of hate crime. He posted a statement on his official Facebook page to confirm that he left the T20 league strictly due to personal reasons.

According to a few media reports, it came into prominence that Tamim Iqbal’s wife was the target of an attempted hate crime and the cricketer had to return to his country leaving his club Essex Eagles.

What Tamim had to say:

In his statement, Tamim mentioned all the rumours about the hate crime are false and he left the country owing to personal reasons. The left-handed batsman also mentioned that England is one his favourite places and he looks forward to returning soon.

The statement read ““I want all my fans and wellwishers to know that I cut short my season with Essex to come back home early for personal reasons. Some media reported that we were the target of attempted hate crime. This is really not true. England is one my of favorite places to play cricket and Essex have been entirely gracious even though I had to leave early. I thank all my fans and well wishers for their concern and messages and look forward to going back to England for future matches.”

Essex County Cricket Club had earlier revealed the departure of Tamim on their official website stating that the 28-year-old had to leave because of personal reasons. The club also added that his privacy is highly respected by the club and would ask everyone else to do the same.

The statement read “Essex County Cricket Club can confirm that overseas player, Tamim Iqbal, has left the Club with immediate effect due to personal reasons. We wish him all the best and it would be appreciated if Tamim’s privacy is respected during this time.”