Alex Hales and Tamim Iqbal were at the center of a heated exchange following a Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2025 match between Rangpur Riders and Fortune Barishal on January 9. The confrontation took place during the post-match handshake and rapidly turned into a verbal clash.

The incident reportedly began when Alex Hales, representing Rangpur Riders, made a face at Tamim Iqbal, which sparked the Bangladesh batter’s anger. Tamim confronted Hales, telling him to act like a man and address the issue directly. “Why are you behaving this way? If you have something to say, say it directly to me. Be a man about it,” Tamim reportedly stated, his frustration apparent as the two exchanged words.

However, the situation took a personal turn after the game when Hales revealed to Channel 24 that Tamim made derogatory comments about his past drug ban. Hales, who was banned for 21 days in 2019 after failing a recreational drug test, was accused by Tamim of being “embarrassed” about the ban and asked if he was still using drugs. Hales expressed his disappointment over these remarks, stating that it was “very, very rude” of Tamim to bring up such a sensitive issue.

Hales expressed disappointment, saying, “I find it pathetic to bring something like that up after the match. What happens on the field should stay on the field. For him to make such personal comments, it’s really disappointing.”

The tension between the two players occurred after a hard-fought match, in which Fortune Barishal set a challenging total of 197/5. Rangpur Riders, led by Hales, managed to chase down the target with three wickets to spare. Hales, however, had a forgettable outing, getting out for just 1 run.

The exchange between Hales and Tamim has sparked controversy, overshadowing the match’s result and drawing attention to the animosity between the two cricketers.