Injured Tamim hopeful of boosting Bangladesh
AFP, Apr 25, 2010, 08.55am IST
DHAKA: Bangladesh's flamboyant opener Tamim Iqbal is expecting to play a major role at the World Twenty20, despite uncertainty surrounding a recent wrist injury.
Tamim hurt his left wrist, which already had a hair-line fracture, while fielding in a recent domestic T20 tournament in Dhaka.
"There's a lot of pain and I can't grip properly," Tamim said.
Bangladeshi team selectors will be waiting until the last moment before announcing a replacement, as doctors have not yet ruled out the possibility of the left handed batsman being able to play.
"I want to play my natural game and I want to play some big innings to get our team into the second round," Tamim said.
"When it is our day, when we can give 100 percent, we can beat any team. So we are planning to concentrate on our own game, without thinking too much about who we are playing against," he said.
The 21-year-old is considered one of Bangladesh's most promising batsman for the tournament, despite having a poor track record in T20 internationals.
Tamim has scored 174 runs, with an average of 13.38 runs, in the 13 T20 internationals he has played, with his highest score of 32 coming against Australia in 2007.
But in the recent domestic T20 tournament, he became one of the country's highest scorers with 191 runs, at an average of 47.75, in five matches.
"Tamim is a key player and currently in very good form. He can bat against any bowling attack. We will need him to bat 10 to 12 overs to get good scores on the board," said Australian coach Jamie Siddons.
Captain Shakib Al-Hasan added: "Tamim has been getting good starts, which is a very good thing for the team. I would want him to continue like this in the World Twenty20 as well."
The captain, however, said he was worried by news of Tamim's injury and hoped that he would recover before the tournament begins.
The Tigers will begin their World Twenty20 campaign against Pakistan in St Lucia on May 1 and a second match against Australia in Barbados on May 5.
source -
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/a...ow/5855040.cms