It was the World Cup in 2007, and if anyone anticipated a batsman from Bangladesh who was just 17 years old to be gripped with nervousness at the prospect of playing against one of the finest sides in the world in India, they were in for a surprise. Tamim Iqbal, who had only played five one-day internationals before to this match, demonstrated what it means to dominate and play with class against a strong India assault.
Despite the fact that Bangladesh is a nation obsessed with cricket, they were just in their ninth year of playing top-class international cricket. That day evolved into a momentous occasion as a result of the nation’s anticipation regarding the performance of the squad. Zaheer Khan of India was a top-tier bowler who had pace, bounce, and the ability to intimidate batsmen. He was feared by openers as well as players at the end of the batting order.
Tamim’s 53-ball score of 51 included an unbounded will to hold his head high. Even though he was struck by the emotion that possessed him at his announcement at a city hotel in Chattogram, his birthplace, he was able to hold it together until yesterday, when he abruptly retired from his job.
Even though he took punches from Zaheer, it just helped to make his determination even more steadfast.
It was not something anyone anticipated a Bangladesh batsman to accomplish against a fast like Zaheer, but he charged the bowler and got him out of there straight down the ground. This action heralded the arrival of a new talent for Bangladesh’s batting lineup. A Bangladeshi talent who is representative of their generation has made a statement. His square strokes off the wicket were a treat to see, and the entire country of Bangladesh celebrated his presence with enthusiasm.
“That an opening batter could go down the track and hit straight down the ground was not a concept that a Bangladesh opening batter could fathom before that,” Habibul Bashar, the captain of Bangladesh’s team during that World Cup, says. “It was not something that a Bangladesh opening batter could fathom before that.”
“The plan we came up with was to avoid taking aerial shots, play along the ground, and try to protect our wicket.” That was essentially how the notion of coaching worked. Tamim Iqbal brought a new ideology, a culture, and the thought of being able to strike an opening bowler like that, which fundamentally altered everything that had come before. That marked the start of a new era for cricket in Bangladesh. “That was quite the assertion,” he mused in retrospect.
It wasn’t a tiny target in a World Cup match, and it was played on that wicket. Even though his innings were short, they made it simpler for everyone else to complete theirs. India had no idea that Bangladesh was capable of conducting an attack of such nature. He recounted how “that start from Tamim took the match out of their hands and they received a shock.”
The majority of Tamim’s career was spent playing cricket in this manner, illuminating the path that others should follow and acting as a guiding light for others who came after him. He is the only batsman from Bangladesh to have scored a century at Lord’s, the only batsman to have scored centuries for Bangladesh in all three formats, and the only batsman from Bangladesh to have scored more than 15,000 runs in all three forms combined. These achievements stand to this day.
His 14 hundreds in one-day internationals had both impact and class, elevating him to the top levels of Bangladesh cricket and making him the finest opener the Tigers have ever had.
The fact that he has led the team to victory in every game since taking over as captain during a tumultuous period has provided Bangladesh with confidence in their present standing as they prepare to compete in the ODI World Cup in India. The impact of his stunning knocks against Pakistan in 2015, which resulted in a 3-0 whitewash, was felt throughout the match. Everyone on the squad recognized his abilities and admired his drive, and they looked up to him.
Had he lost so much strength that he was unable to cope with the intensity of competing on the world circuit?
Concerning the reasons, there will be a great deal of speculation. The rumblings of discord that had been building up below the surface may have been made audible by Tamim’s departure. Above all else, regardless of whether his supporters agree with his choice or not, there is no question that Tamim stands by what was a very difficult decision. This cannot be disputed.
He was hit himself, but he taught others how to fight back effectively. As he leaves, he will be remembered as having kept up his end of the bargain. That is the Tamim that everyone has been waiting for, and it is for this reason why he is what he is.