Pacer Taskin Ahmed missed the World Cup match against India due to oversleeping, a story that has now become widely known. Taskin has since apologised to his teammates for the incident, which seemed to bring the matter to a close.
However, the controversy surrounding Taskin is yet to be over. Various media outlets have questioned Taskin's account. A national daily on Tuesday published a report suggesting another reason for the pacer's oversleeping, which has been perceived as offensive.
Taskin has dismissed these reports as rumours, expressing strong protest. Currently in Sri Lanka to play in the Lankan Premier League, he addressed the issue in a detailed Facebook post today. For the readers of Jago News, here is his statement:
“Assalamu Alaikum, I hope everyone is well. I recently came to know from various media outlets online that there is a lot of fuss about an incident in the recently concluded T20 World Cup.
First of all, I want to let everyone know that most of the news and information being spread are just rumours and I hope fans see it that way.
Secondly, I want to clarify what actually happened that day. I admit that I stayed up later than usual and for that, I have already apologised to the entire team and management.
I woke up at 8:37 am, went to the lobby at 8:43 am, and left the hotel at 9:00 am with my ride ready. 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 is very unfortunate that these so-called sports journalists are spreading/printing news based on rumours and trying to tarnish my image as a player of the national cricket team without verification.
Those who know me understand how much I love our country and how dedicated, enthusiastic, and proud I am to represent Bangladesh. I know I made an inadvertent mistake of not getting on the team bus in time, but I was at the stadium before the toss. The decision not to include me in the final squad was made by the team management, aiming for the right team combination, and had nothing to do with my late arrival to the team bus.
I hope the media and sports journalists will be more careful before writing false stories and not create a toxic environment. It not only harms our players but also tarnishes the overall image of our country. I believe we all expect honest and professional journalism to move forward as a nation.
In the future, I will take legal action in such matters so that no one tries to undermine my reputation or integrity as an athlete or as a person.
Thanks to all my fans for their continued support."