Sports Desk: Social media and mass media are busy with Taskin Ahmed’s sleeping incident. Taskin himself explained the matter on his Facebook page. Taskin’s post on Wednesday (July 3) is reproduced for RisingBD readers:
Assalamu Alaikum, I hope everyone is well. I have recently come 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 rumors, and I hope fans see it that way.
Second, I want to clarify what actually happened that day. I admit that I am up later than usual, and for that, I have already apologized to the entire team and management.
I got up at 8:37 a.m., went to the lobby at 8:43 a.m., and left the hotel at 9:00 a.m. with my ride ready. I entered the stadium at 9:40 a.m., 20 minutes before the match toss at 10:00 a.m. 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 and printing news based on rumors and trying to tarnish my image as a player on the national cricket team without verification.
Those who know me know how much I love our country and how dedicated, enthusiastic, and proud I am to represent Bangladesh. I know I made the inadvertent mistake of not getting on the team bus in time, but I was at the stadium before the toss. It was the decision of the team management that I was not selected in the final squad. It had to do with getting the right team combination, and it had nothing to do with my failure to get on the team bus.
So, 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.’
