Tamim seeks break from cricket

DHAKA: Tamim Iqbal has requested for a break from cricket. The 30-year old opener had gone to the Bangladesh Cricket Board, seeking some time off in early August and ESPNcricinfo understands that it has now been approved.

As a result, he will miss next month’s one-off Test against Afghanistan and the T20I tri-series which follows, making it the first time he will not be available for Bangladesh barring injuries.

It follows the BCB’s decision to give Shakib Al Hasan a break during last month’s ODI series against Sri Lanka. They had also allowed Shakib time off during the 2017 Test series against South Africa. On both occasions, the allrounder had made the request which was then granted.

Tamim, who will leave the country for a physical fitness camp, will be available for Bangladesh’s next assignment, a tour of India in November when they play three T20Is and two Tests.

In his letter to the BCB, Tamim asked for a break after he had gone through a tough time in the last three months. Apart from an ordinary World Cup campaign in which he scored only one fifty, and a disastrous ODI series against Sri Lanka, in which he also led Bangladesh, Tamim was subject to vilification on social media.

During the 2019 World Cup, Tamim spoke about the demons of the 2015 tournament, in which he made only 154 runs in six innings, and was then subject to abuse on social media. Tamim said those memories affected his preparation for this year’s event in England, leading to a pattern where he was bowled in six consecutive ODI innings.

After his match-winning 141 in the BPL final in February, Tamim had a rough time in the ODIs in New Zealand before bouncing back superbly in the Tests.