Photo: Firoz Ahmed
Bangladesh ODI skipper Tamim Iqbal said he knew there was a risk involved in playing the first ODI of the Afghanistan series, as he was not feeling a ‘hundred per cent’. His decision was to learn how much he was able to cope with facing the challenge of playing Afghanistan in an international game while worrying about injury concerns.
However, someone from the team management should have told him that this was not the way to go.
News in the local media has said that the team management were left unhappy with what Tamim said regarding his fitness status. BCB president Nazmul Hassan had been quoted as saying that this was not just some a game someone was playing in their neighbourhood. The gravity of the scenario comes from the fact that whether someone is feeling right or not cannot be ascertained from playing an international game, regardless of whether that individual is captain or not.
Tamim, made himself ‘available’ for the game and, according to team management sources, his selection became ‘automatic’ since he is the captain of the side. Tamim has been suffering from back pain, which had ruled him out of the Afghanistan Test last month. When he returned to training, he showed signs of pain and his participation for the first game of the series was in doubt before he came to a press conference on Tuesday.
At this point, his participation in the rest of the series may still be in doubt if the pain resurfaces. The confusion over whether the captain will be available for a series is an issue that the Tigers have suffered from a lot in recent times. Tamim had been ruled out of the India series last year due to an injury too.
While injuries are part and parcel of a cricketer’s career, according to sources, there are doubts about the circumstances of his injury. That does not paint Tamim’s absences in a good light. If he is feeling pain, there needs to be a concrete decision regarding his treatment, or whether he indeed needs a permanent solution.
Such a situation puts the team management in doubt about securing his services in important series and it is not at all a healthy atmosphere if the captain’s services are in doubt.
Tamim came out to bat against Afghanistan, looking apt. He was slow to a pull shot but his trademark cover drive and cut shot were exhibited to good effect before he departed to Fazalhaq Farooqi after a 21-ball 13.
A fit Tamim is the best news the Tigers can get. Ahead of a World Cup, however, the injury scenario is affecting the team culture as professional commitment is paramount to preparations for a World Cup.
It was learned that Tamim passed the fitness Test ahead of the first ODI against Afghanistan yesterday. The team management would have had a difficult proposition on their hands otherwise with the skipper wanting to play.
The team management may have reportedly been left unhappy, but they have not been clear on what the correct conduct should be. It only breeds secrecy and the need for more secrecy. They are also responsible for risking Tamim if he indeed is playing through injury while setting a bad example for the rest of the players with the message that someone can use an international game to find out if they can play on.
