DHAKA, July 9, 2019 (BSS) – When all of the players chose to take some rest following a grueling World Cup mission, opener Tamim Iqbal opted not to relax as he returned to practice session on Tuesday.
He was seen in action at net session all by alone at the Academy ground of Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium as he looked determined to get back his form after a horrible World Cup.
Tamim scored 235 runs in eight matches at a meager average under 30 with just one half-century to show. His strike rate was just 71, which was not also acceptable. Overall it was a below par performance from the batsman who was so successful, averaging 58 with batting since the 2015 World Cup.
The World Cup probably a spot of bother for him in career as he never justified his talent in the cricket’s biggest extravaganza even though he has actually established himself as the player to watch in 2007 World Cup when he, at the age of just 18, dismantled India bowling with utter audacity.
But thereafter he didn’t dazzle in the cricket’s biggest carnival that way and the poor run continued in this World Cup in which he came with high hopes of being the highest run-getter but that was not to be.
“Tamim can’t play as per his reputation but we can’t say he played that badly. There was huge expectation on him, considering his form before the World Cup but he simply can’t live up to the expectation,” said Bangladesh team manager Khaled Mahmud Sujon.
“He made a good start, but it was unfortunate that sometimes he got dismissed by getting some good balls and sometimes he was out in a delivery which should have been dispatched. That is pure bad luck.”
Interestingly Tamim got back to his form of life after an ordinary 2015 World Cup, for which he and his family had to endure huge abuse from rowdy fans on social media.
This time Tamim also expected that he would get back amongst the form but for that he wants his preparation to be perfect.
“Probably I took too much pressure on me to do well in this World Cup. I failed to deliver in 2015 World Cup and therefore what I had to go through that only I knew. My family had to endure also for me and that’s why I want to make sure I won’t go through that phase again. And thereby I took the pressure on me and failed to delivery I think,” Tamim said after his disappointing World Cup mission.
“However after that poor World Cup in 2015, I got back amongst runs with the series against Pakistan. This time I also hope so.”
Bangladesh will tour in Sri Lanka later this month play a three-match ODI series and Tamim targets this tour to bury the nightmares of World Cup.
“He is the player who we can believe that will get back in form within short possible time. We just need to have patience on him,” Khaled Mahmud Sujon said.
“We shouldn’t blame him for World Cup failure. He was unfortunate that he could not perform as per his reputation. We hope his poor form will not linger.”