Bangladesh star Taskin Ahmed, who missed India match after oversleeping, breaks silence

According to ESPN Cricinfo, Taskin was quoted as telling Dhaka-based newspaper Ajker Patrika: “I reached the stadium about 30-40 minutes before the toss. I missed the team bus. The bus left the hotel at 8:35 am. I left for the stadium at 8:43 am. I almost reached the stadium with the bus. It’s not like they didn’t pick me because I arrived late. I wasn’t going to play anyway,” he added.

Taskin returned to the starting line-up for Bangladesh’s next match against Afghanistan on June 24.

Although Taskin apologised for his actions, veteran all-rounder and former captain Shakib Al Hasan said the pacer’s late arrival had made it “difficult” to select him.

“The bus usually leaves at a specific time. The rule is that the team bus does not wait for anyone,” Shakib told reporters on Tuesday.

“If by chance someone misses the bus, he can arrive in the managers’ car or a taxi. The West Indies are a difficult place to travel. He arrived 5-10 minutes before the toss, so naturally, it was difficult for the team management to select him.”

“It was also a difficult situation for the player. Taskin apologized to the team and everyone took the situation very normally. It was an unintentional mistake. That was the end of it.” According to the report, Taskin was not fined for the incident.

Asked about the incident, Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan said: “When I saw that Taskin was not in the playing eleven, I called (team manager) Rabeed (Imam), who told me that Taskin had missed the team bus,” Hassan said. “But (Rabeed said) he is now on the field, he came a little late.

“I will read the report from the relevant department.”

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)