News being published based on rumours regarding me: Taskin
An incident involving Bangladesh pace man Taskin Ahmed ahead of the Super Eight match against India in Antigua has stirred controversy.
According to various media reports, Tasking overslept that day and missed the team bus which led to his drop from the squad, media reports say. However, Taskin was seen with the team during the national anthem.
Taskin Ahmed shared the entire incident from his verified Facebook account in a post on Wednesday.
He wrote, “Assalamualaikum, hope everyone is well. I have come to know through various online news that a huge outcry is being made of an incident which occurred during the recently concluded T20 World Cup. Firstly, I would like everyone to know that most of the news and information which is being spread are nothing more than rumours and I would hope that the fans treat it as the same. Secondly, I would like to clarify on what actually happened on the day of the incident.”
Taskin further wrote, “I admit I woke up later than usual and something for which I have already apologised to the entire team and management. I woke (up) at 8:37 am and went to the lobby at 8:43 am and as soon as my ride was ready I left our hotel at 9:00 am. I entered the stadium at 9:40 am, 20 minutes before the match toss at 10:00 am. We sang the national anthem at 10:15 am and the match started at 10:30 am.”
“It's quite unfortunate that these so-called sports journalists are printing news based on rumours and without verification and trying to tarnish my image as a player of the national cricket team. Those who know me know how much I love our country and how dedicated, passionate and proud I am to represent Bangladesh. I know I have made an honest mistake by not getting on the team bus on time, but I was at the stadium before the toss. My lack of selection in the final team was a team management call based on getting the right combination and had nothing to do with my failure to be on the team bus,” he added.
In the last part of the status he wrote, “I, therefore, hope the media and sports journalists take more caution before writing fabricated stories and create a toxic environment. This not only hurts us as players but also our country's image as a whole. I believe we all expect ethical and professional journalism to move forward as a nation. In future, I will address frivolous issues like this legally to ensure no one tries to malign my reputation or my integrity as a sportsman or a human being. Thanks to all my fans for their constant support.”