Tamim Iqbal will make his comeback to international cricket during the three-match ODI series between hosts Bangladesh and New Zealand starting Wednesday. The batsman has been embroiled in many scandals over the last few months.
Since Tamim abruptly declared his retirement from international cricket in July and then made a U-turn, a lot has happened for the Tigers. But the 34-year-old later decided to resign as the ODI skipper because he believed the Tigers’ prospects of winning the World Cup would be hampered by his persistent injury worries.
After receiving treatment, the stunning left-hander now has the task of improving the team’s precarious situation at the top of the batting order.
Tamim’s tutor during his formative years, renowned coach Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, predicts that the seasoned combatant would have “several challenges” after his absence from competitive activity.
Fahim told The Daily Star yesterday that “there will be an impact from the recent controversies, and he will be under pressure to perform.”
“He probably worked on some parts of his technique even if he didn’t play, but it will be interesting to see how well he adjusts to how he used to play in the past.”
Tamir’s abrupt resignation was reportedly caused in large part by his recent falling out with head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, according to insiders.
But according to Fahim, Tamim is a “emotional guy,” and he may have developed self-doubt about his own batting skills since “a lot of negativities around him could have been self-created.”
He said, “I think he needs to prove that he can perform to those who would like to see him fail, so this puts more pressure on him.”
Liton Das will be the team’s manager when Tamim returns, while Hathurusingha and usual captain Shakib Al Hasan will be away for the series. However, the Sri Lankan coach is anticipated to join the squad before to the third game.
Tamim should “play at his own pace initially because it’s a fifty-over game,” according to Fahim, and the team should be patient with him.
“Our team also needs to understand that it takes time for a player to regain [the pace] of his game after recovering from an injury.”