In-form Tamim happy to silence critics

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s hero Tamim Iqbal believes that his team was now ready to move up the ladder in world cricket after winning its first ODI series against Pakistan.
“As a team this was a very important series because we didn’t beat them after 1999,” Tamim said after hitting match-winning tons in the first two games of the series. “We were close in the last few matches as a team. This is an important series for us after the World Cup performance. I will rate it equally (with other defeats) because if you see their bowling attack, they can match the best in the world.
“They may be a little inexperienced with regards to the batting, but the best thing is that we managed to win. Somehow in the past we often found a way to lose but to win against them is a different feeling. So I will equally rate them all. We just played a good World Cup and if we weren’t able to play well here, then there would have been doubts with regards to our performance.
“This was as important because had we not played well here, people would have talked again. But this proves that we are improving and we are ready to take another step. So I am really happy from the aspect of a team.”
Tamim felt he was due such a performance, as he managed for only the third time in his ODI career to score more than 200 runs in a series. The last such instance was when he made 253 runs in the 2012 Asia Cup. In the World Cup, he averaged 25.66 with a top-score of 95 against Scotland.
Tamim said that the criticism aimed at him following a run of low scores just after the Scotland innings was acceptable, until the jibes were directed towards his family. He said that it had affected his mental state on the field.
“Personally this was a very important series. I was due. Thanks to God that all came well. There will always be criticism. This is not in my hands. I can’t stop people but yesterday I said in an interview that I am ready for criticism. I am a professional cricketer but it should not be personal. For me my family suffered a lot. I played badly. I am at fault. But because of me if my family suffers this is not fair.
“I won’t get that mental strength to come and play well. It was difficult for me and more so for my family in the last two months. I know that I may play badly again, This won’t be in my hands. Cricket career is like a circle where you will play good and bad and bad and good. So I would request you to keep it to me and not to my family.”