After skipping the T20 World Cup because of a knee issue, Tamim Iqbal is also set to miss the home series versus Pakistan. The experienced opening batter will not be available for Bangladesh’s 3 T20Is and 2 Tests against the visitors.
The news on Tamim was confirmed on Sunday when an X-ray revealed that he has a fracture on his left thumb. The injury was picked up while playing the Everest Premier League T20 in Nepal last month.
The player went through a rigorous rehab for the same over four weeks at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka. ESPNcricinfo stated in a report, Tamim had even resumed batting against the fast bowlers.
The initial idea was for him to track the medical progress by playing a fifth-round game of the Chattogram Division in the domestic National Cricket League.
“But the continued swelling and pain prompted a second look, which showed that a fracture remained,”
the report mentioned.
“The fracture had almost healed but my thumb remained swollen. So we wanted to have another X-ray, which revealed that there was a fracture. Probably there were two, but it didn’t come out in the first scan. The finger has gone back into the split. I can’t move it. The whole process has to start again.”
Tamim was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
This thumb injury, which preceded the knee injury, would be a cause of great disappointment for Tamim. The 32-year-old has gone an extended period without turning up for Bangladesh. He last featured in national colours back in July for the ODI series against Zimbabwe.
Tamim missed the 3 T20Is in Harare and subsequently, also each of the two five-match T20I series in Dhaka against Australia and New Zealand. In a sensible and selfless decision, he decided not to rush himself for the T20 World Cup and opted out.
Bangladesh lost six of their eight games at the event in Oman and UAE, including defeats to Scotland in the preliminary round and in all five of their Super 12 fixtures.
They’ll start off their build-up to the next T20 World Cup in Australia with a three-match series versus Pakistan, with games scheduled in Dhaka on November 19, 20 and 22, respectively.
The T20Is will be followed by two Test matches. The first one will be played in Chattogram from November 26 and the second in Dhaka from December 4. This will be the start of Bangladesh’s campaign in the new cycle of the World Test Championship.
