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Alex Hales blamed Tamim Iqbal for taunting him about his ban, while the Bangladeshi said he was standing up for his teammate.
Tamim Iqbal and Alex Hales had a heated argument. (PC: X)
Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal asked Englishman Alex Hales if he was ‘still taking drugs’ which led to a heated argument between them in a Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) clash between Rangpur Riders and Fortune Barishal on Thursday, January 9.
It happened during the customary post-match hand-shakes between the two teams. Staff members on both sides had to separate the duo before the confrontation got ugly.
Hales was banned for 21 days and dropped from England’s squad for the 2019 World Cup after testing positive for a recreational drug. The violation was said to have been detected after the opening batter — in prime form at the time — underwent a routine hair follicle test. He didn’t play an ODI again.
“He was asking if I was embarrassed for getting banned for drugs for England and he was asking if I was still taking drugs and he was very, very rude. It’s a real shame really because if anything happens on the field that just ends on the field, but to get personal and that too after the game, I think is pathetic to be honest,” Hales told Channel 24.
After the match, Tamim told his side of the story to journalist Raisad Azim. He said he had no regrets because he was standing up for his 18-year-old teammate Iqbal Hossain Emon.
“He abused Emon, and it was visible on TV. He mocked him again today,” Tamim said. “If you watch the celebration video, Rangpur players ran towards (Nurul) after the win, but Hales kept looking at me and mocking me. It seemed like he wanted a fight.”
“Later, when he again insulted Emon, I had to stand up for my teammate, and I have no regrets about doing so. We both exchanged words,” Tamim said.
He added: “I didn’t even know about his ban or follow him that closely. But I do know there are many accusations against him in England. If anyone says something about me or my team, I will always stand up for us, regardless of how I’m portrayed on TV.”
Barishal put up a score of 197/5 batting first. Riders chased it with three wickets to spare.
