Tamim wants local coaches to be assistant coaches for some time

Currently, no domestic coach is prepared to become the head coach of the national team, said Tamim Iqbal. While in India, not as a player but as a commentator, Tamim spoke with journalists covering the second T20 match between Bangladesh and India in Delhi, sharing his views on various topics.

Explaining why domestic coaches are not ready for the head coach position at this moment, Tamim said, "Personally, I don’t think anyone is prepared to be the head coach of the national team right now. However, I also mentioned that there are 3-4 individuals in Bangladesh who are ready to be assistant coaches. If a player becomes captain, what do we say? We say he needs to play a bit more, gain more experience before he can become the national team captain. The same applies to coaches; we have 3-4 individuals who are very capable of being assistant coaches. If they work for 1-2-3 years, they can certainly become qualified for the head coach position. What I meant to say was that currently no one is ready, but in 2-3 years, they will be."

Tamim further added, "Just as players need experience, so do coaches. They are certainly qualified individuals. I have also believed in many local coaches. However, being a head coach is a very different matter. If we have 70% local coaches and 30% foreign coaches in the setup, it would be beneficial. If 70% of local coaches stay with the team for 2 years, then why not? Eventually, a Bangladeshi must become the head coach of Bangladesh."

Among local coaches, Tamim believes that Sohel Islam, who has been in charge of the last two Tigers camps, has made the most progress over the past decade. He considers Sohel the best among local coaches.

"I have had the opportunity to work with him, and in my view, he is the coach who has improved the most in the last 10 years. In my opinion, he is the best coach in the country right now. We should also value the fact that Babul Bhai and Sohel Bhai have worked with the BCB. They had opportunities to work elsewhere, but they chose to stay with the BCB. Therefore, I believe they should be given more importance. Many batters and bowlers in Bangladesh go to Sohel Bhai and Babul Bhai for guidance."