Habibul Bashar, the former captain of Bangladesh and a selector, emphasized the significance of Tamim Iqbal's performance in the upcoming World Cup, scheduled to be held in India during October-November this year.
Tamim is presently undergoing a rehabilitation program with the aim of recovering from a back injury ahead of the home series against New Zealand.
Initially set to lead Bangladesh in the Asia Cup, which is set to take place in Sri Lanka and Pakistan, starting later this month, Tamim made the decision to step down from captaincy due to uncertainties surrounding his injury. As a result, he will also be absent from the Asia Cup.
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"We rely on Tamim's presence in the World Cup," stated Habibul to the media on Saturday. "He has been putting in tremendous effort to make a comeback. I am optimistic that he will exceed the expected recovery timeline."
The New Zealand series stands as Tamim's final opportunity to prepare for the impending World Cup. If he fails to make a comeback during this series, his chances of participating in the World Cup would be considerably diminished.
However, Habibul holds the belief that Tamim possesses ample time to recuperate from his injury. "With the World Cup slated for October," he commented, "Tamim has a substantial timeframe at his disposal. Once he resumes batting, we can assess his progress. I am confident Tamim will rejoin the team prior to the New Zealand series."
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To fill the void left by Tamim, BCB has included Tanzid Hasan Tamim in the national team. The 20-year-old batter mentioned that he has looked up to senior Tamim since his early days in cricket.
Habibul further noted that the Bangladesh team has exhibited exceptional cricketing prowess in ODIs over the past few years. He expressed his anticipation that if they manage to reach the final, the Tigers stand a good chance of clinching the title in this year's Asia Cup.
The Bangladesh national team is scheduled to travel to Sri Lanka on August 27th to participate in the Asia Cup.