Bangladesh Cricket Board's interim head, Tamim Iqbal, is preparing for the next BCB election, scheduled on June 7. A day before the election, the former national captain, who is the front-runner to get elected as BCB president sat with Cricketlineguruji to discuss his journey so far in the hot seat along with plans to bring trust among different stakeholders. He also cleared his stance regarding the allegation of leading a political board.

Excerpt:

How confident are you for the upcoming elections?

Tamim: I am confident. But I'm also a little nervous because anything can happen in an election. I am confident that the minimum time that I have got as president and the amount of work I've done, or the changes I've brought, people have appreciated. My main goal, the long-term vision and what I really want to achieve for Bangladesh cricket - those weren't actually possible in these two months, it doesn't happen that way. But I am confident. Yesterday (Friday) we had an event, and the response I got from all the councillors, gave me a lot of confidence that I hope the election will go the right way for me.

If I asked you to judge your own performance in these two months out of 10, how much would you rate yourself?

Tamim: Rating - I don't think I should give a rating. But I think I've done whatever was required to be done in these two months. I've probably touched a lot of things. The best thing I've done is to hold an election a month before. Within our 90-day window, we're completing the election - I think that's the best thing I've done. Plus, obviously there are places where I've made very minimal changes; these aren't things where I've changed everything 360 degrees. Some processes I've started which are absolutely necessary. Looking at it from all angles, I feel that I've just started working. And if I get an opportunity tomorrow (June 7) and then obviously if I get the post that I want, then I will have a long-term, four-year time to make the real changes.

What is the most satisfying thing for you as an interim head?

Tamim: I think, more than increasing salaries of players or benefiting them financially, what was a far bigger deal for me was that in one of the interviews I saw national cricketers saying that we are relieved. That's the biggest thing and I think it is an achievement for me that the players are feeling relieved, that they can breathe. I think they have been disrespected to the fullest. And that shouldn't be the case. We are only here to serve them, to make sure that Bangladesh cricket goes the right way. All the players, current and former, should get that respect. If a cricketer has to think about things other than their own performance - like what's happening up at the top in the board - that's the worst thing that can happen to a cricketer. They should only think about their performance and how to get better, how to win matches. So to hear from some of them that they are relieved - that's the biggest thing I think I've achieved.

This realisation that players must concentrate on cricket rather than anything else must have come from personal experience considering you've been a player and you must have gone through a phase when you had to think about what's happening at the top.

Tamim: You need to understand why I wanted to come to BCB. There are a lot of questions. Why so early? Why so young? There's a lot of whys. The people who know me closely, they know it very well - my ambition for this started seven or eight years ago.

When you were a player you decided to become the BCB president?

Tamim: When I was a player, we used to discuss this. This should happen, this shouldn't happen, this isn't right, this is what we're getting, this is what we're not getting. When we went on overseas tours, we used to train in certain facilities; when we used to speak to certain players about how things are going in their countries - all of this, I was part of it for a long, long time. And after seeing all of this, we had multiple discussions in multiple countries among ourselves - that this needs to be fixed, that needs to be fixed. So my plans started seven or eight years back. And I thought that when I finish my cricketing career, this is what I want to do because I want to create change. I come from a financially settled family. I myself am financially sorted. At my age, after finishing my cricket, I should be concentrating on businesses and making sure my family has a stable life for the next 20 or 30 years. I chose to come to cricket, to the cricket board. Because I am always and always very thankful and grateful to cricket and Bangladesh - because that's what has given me my identity today. Somebody has to take that responsibility. The complaints we've had for eight, 10, 12 years - those need to be fixed. So this ambition, this desire, has been there in me for a long time. Those who are close to me all know about it. I've always said that age doesn't matter. It's the intention that matters. I can be 60-year old and if I don't have the right intentions, or the right ideas, I won't be able to do anything. I might be 35 or 38 or 40, but if I have the right intention and right ideas in that case I can achieve my goals. I think everybody should get a chance. If you look around the world - not only in sports, but in politics, in business - there are multiple examples of people who have been extremely successful at a very, very young age. And I think my recent stepping away from cricket is actually an advantage for me in taking this role. People might think very differently, but I think this is an advantage because I know how the player thinks and what the player wants. There are other sides - there are other things in the cricket board. And for that, we have 25 directors. I do not need to know everything. For how to run an office, there's a CEO. So there are certain things I'm sure that I'm very strong in. There are certain things I might not be that strong in - for that we have 25 directors. There will be someone else who will be strong in those particular areas. But I have a very clear vision, a very clear plan, of what I want to achieve. I don't have multiple plans, I don't have 10 points. I probably have three or four points and if I can get them right over four years if elected, Bangladesh cricket will be in a much better position. I won't say we'll change everything completely, but it will be in a much better position and this will be a great start.

A lot of people are saying that there are not many organisers running in the upcoming election?

Tamim: Organising - it's not something you're born with. You get into cricket, you get into organising teams, that's how you do it. A lot of people here are involved with cricket - maybe not for 10 years, but for two years, three years - but we don't really know them in that way. Now, you have to understand that there is a big vacancy of organisers. Cricket ran a certain way for 17 years, and then there was a revolution. And when the revolution happened, a lot of organisers left. So suddenly there's a big vacancy visible here. And whenever a large vacancy like this appears, it's natural for new people to come in. There was no barrier stopping anyone. It was open for all. If you are a councillor of a team, you have an opportunity to run for BCB. Whoever felt they were going to run and serve Bangladesh cricket is there. And whoever decided they're probably not going to run is not there. But I believe we also need some young and fresh minds to take Bangladesh cricket forward.

There is an allegation of nepotism in the cricket board, and that people are coming from political backgrounds?

Tamim: In this election, I have not called a single person. And if I had done that, in today's world, it would be a matter of minutes before it came out. Because that's not my responsibility. As soon as I handed over the election process to the EC, they were looking after it. I have not even met the EC. From day one when they were taking charge, I haven't spoken to them or met them. Whoever comes to BCB will see that I do not even use the BCB president's room. The EC sits nearby, I use some other room now so that nobody can point a finger at me that I'm sitting close to them or having a conversation. I want to make this election as fair as possible.

So it is not a political cricket board where sons and brothers of ministers are expected to be your colleague in the coming while some are directly connected with a political party?

Tamim: On the question of it being a political board: it's an election, and if you have certain things to offer, you can always participate in the election. When a board is formed - who my father is doesn't define me. Yes, he is my father, but it doesn't define who I am and what capability I have. My father was a footballer, I am a cricketer. Somebody's father might be a politician, but he might have a very different opinion or very different aim in life. You should always criticise by giving them enough time to see how they are working. After three months, six months, if you feel the board is not going in the right possible direction, then you can obviously criticise. But if you think they are doing a great job, you should also appreciate it.

What would be your message to those who don't have an influential backgrounds?

Tamim: You might be a big cricketer, you might come from a political family, you might be a doctor, you might be a lot of other things. Your identity - you should leave it outside the Mirpur Stadium. When you sit in the boardroom, you should only think about Bangladesh cricket, and your intention should be only one thing: how we can get better. If we can manage to do that, I think we shouldn't have any problem.

What's your plan internationally? I mean, you have to go to the ICC, you have to build your reputation there. After not playing the T20 World Cup, there are a lot of things to fix. How do you see this?

Tamim: I think we have to build the trust issue first - with the international community and all international cricketing teams. Not participating in the World Cup wasn't great for Bangladesh cricket. So we need to rebuild the relationship at the ICC and with other nations and stakeholders. Not just with one particular nation - I'm talking about everybody. We need to make clear why this has happened and start building relationships and look forward. We have to leave this (not playing in the World Cup issue) behind and move ahead. We have to build relationships afresh, we have to convince them again - that what happened was exactly what happened. But from now on, we are starting fresh. Bangladesh is a major stakeholder in world cricket.

What about relationships with India after all that had happened? Do you feel the scheduled home series against India in September will help to rebuild the trust?

Tamim: I think this will be a great start again. See, I haven't spoken to them yet. I know Mithun Manhas very well and we have played together. If I'm elected, I'm going to speak to him. I'm going to convince him if they are thinking any other way. I need to convince them that they should come and we should start afresh. India vs Bangladesh has always been a fantastic series. Whenever India has visited Bangladesh, the series has been fabulous. Even in the last ODI series we played, we won it. Bangladesh fans eagerly wait to watch India-Bangladesh matches. When these two nations are playing, there's a lot of interest and we should make sure that happens. If I get elected, whatever steps need to be taken, we will take them.

Tamim Iqbal is a very emotional man. If I just go through your career, you have taken a lot of decisions emotionally. For example, the decision to quit captaincy was an emotional one. You could not hold back. Now, emotionally, how are you placed? Now, in this new role, sitting in the boardroom, do you ever wonder what this life is all about?

Tamim: I think one thing has helped me a lot since I took this position. And I think I am reacting and behaving a lot differently from what people thought I might do. Just because of two things. I have left my anger and ego out of the window when I sat in that chair. I am making decisions for Bangladesh cricket - not for me, Tamim Iqbal. When I quit cricket, I made a decision for myself as an individual that every decision I will be making now is going to affect all the stakeholders in Bangladesh cricket and so I have to think everything through, keep everything in mind, and make certain decisions. I actually think I have done that well so far. I think I'll get better and better.