United News of Bangladesh

Doctors at KPJ Specialized Hospital in Gazipur advised former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal, who underwent a medical procedure after a heart attack on Monday, to stay under close observation there for at least 48 to 72 more hours. While Tamim’s condition has improved significantly—he is walking, speaking with family members, and was briefly moved to a cabin—doctors have warned against premature movement or excitement. “He was in critical condition when brought in,” said Dr. Razeeb Hasan, KPJ’s medical director. “We performed an angiogram, angioplasty, and placed a stent, all of which went smoothly. The blockage is now fully cleared.” Tamim Iqbal regains consciousness, speaks with family However, doctors stressed the risk has not entirely over. “This is a deceptive phase. He seems fine, but abnormal heartbeats can recur,” said Prof. Abdul Wadud Chowdhury, Director of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, after examining Tamim earlier today. “The chance of complication is below one percent, but if it occurs, the risk becomes 100% for the patient. Given Tamim’s stature as a national icon, we’ve advised he remain here under observation,” he added. Cricket world prays for Tamim after heart attack Health Directorate Director Prof. Md. Abu Zafar also visited Tamim at the hospital and echoed the concerns. “Although his condition is stable, we must remember the stent is a foreign object. There can be reactions like thrombosis. He should rest, avoid speaking too much or experiencing excitement,” Prof. Abu Zafar said. The medical team has recommended that Tamim refrain from travel for now, despite the family’s consideration of moving him to another facility. Doctors explained that while it is natural to seek the best care possible, any transfer should be weighed carefully against medical risks. Tamim’s family has yet to make a final decision, although they are in consultation with a relative who is also a medical professional. Doctors emphasized that while the risk is now low, this 72-hour period remains critical. “He can resume normal movement at home in time, but a return to sports will take at least three months,” said Prof. Wadud. “For now, rest is his best medicine.”

The cricketing community has come together in support of Bangladesh’s former captain Tamim Iqbal, who suffered a heart attack during a Dhaka Premier League match in Savar on Monday morning. Tamim, who was leading Mohammedan Sporting Club in their match against Shinepukur Cricket Club at the BKSP grounds, complained of chest pain shortly after the toss. He was initially treated at the venue before being taken to KPJ Specialized Hospital nearby, where doctors detected a blockage in his heart and inserted a stent. He is currently under observation in the hospital’s cardiac care unit (CCU). Tamim eyes second successive BPL title Dr Razeeb Hasan, director of KPJ Hospital, told reporters that Tamim was brought in a critical condition. “He had a heart attack. We conducted an angiogram, angioplasty, and successfully placed a stent. The procedure went smoothly, and the blockage has been cleared. But his critical condition has not fully passed,” Dr Hasan said. Tamim is currently under 48-hour observation. Club officials said he briefly regained consciousness and was able to speak with his family members. Tamim Iqbal announces end of international cricket career As the news of his illness spread, messages of support flooded social media from fans, fellow cricketers, and cricket organisations around the world. Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Kolkata Knight Riders wrote: “Get well soon, Tamim Iqbal. The entire cricket fraternity is praying for you.” Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga shared, “Wishing you a speedy and complete recovery, Tamim! Keep fighting like you always have on the field.” Former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza posted, “May Allah be with you, Tamim. InshAllah, you will return to us soon, healthy and strong.” National teammates also expressed their concern. Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed urged everyone to keep Tamim in their prayers, saying, “He fell seriously ill during a match and is currently on life support. May Allah grant him a quick recovery,” Allrounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz echoed the sentiment. Bangladesh opener Tanzid Hasan also requested fans to remember Tamim in their prayers. Earlier in the day, Tamim led his team at the toss, appearing in good health. His sudden illness has shocked the cricketing community. Several top officials from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), including president Faruque Ahmed, visited him at the hospital. The BCB also postponed its scheduled board meeting in light of Tamim’s condition. Tamim Iqbal, 36, is one of Bangladesh’s most celebrated cricketers and the country’s highest run-scorer in ODIs.  

Bangladesh's all-rounder and captain of the Test and T20 team, Shakib Al Hasan, has joined the national team camp ahead of the three-match ODI series against England. The series is set to begin on March 1 in Dhaka. Shakib was spotted batting at the indoor facilities in Mirpur, with Tamim Iqbal also present in the nets. Although they were batting close to each other, there were no visible interactions between them. The team began preparations for the upcoming England series a few days ago, but Shakib was unable to join the camp earlier as he was with his family in the USA. Before his trip to the USA, he was playing for Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League. However, he had to leave the Zalmi squad due to family issues. The strained relationship between Shakib and Tamim has garnered attention from Bangladesh's cricket followers in recent days, particularly after BCB president Nazmul Hasan publicly acknowledged it. Read more: 'When Shakib and I step onto the field, nothing else holds importance for us': Tamim Tamim faced questions about the issue at a press conference on Sunday in Mirpur, but Shakib has not made any statement about it yet. Tamim said when he and Shakib take the field wearing a Bangladesh jersey, they only focus on playing well for Bangladesh; nothing else matters to them. He, however, did not deny the authenticity of a troubled relationship with Shakib. In the upcoming series, along with three ODIs, both the teams will lock horns in a three-match T20I series. The ODI series is a part of the World Cup Super League. England are currently at number three in the points table while Bangladesh are at number six.

Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal said they will try to play their best cricket against Zimbabwe in the three-match ODI series, starting Friday at the Harare Sports Club. Ahead of the ODI series, Bangladesh played a T20I series against the hosts and lost it 2-1. "Zimbabwe are a tough team to beat on their home soil," Tamim said Thursday. "However, we are a bit ahead of them. But the team that plays better cricket on the match day wins it." "They won the T20I series because they played better cricket. We will have to play our best cricket if we want to beat them in the ODIs." Bangladesh's last ODI defeat against Zimbabwe came in 2013. The Tigers have won 19 ODIs in a row against Zimbabwe. Before the Zimbabwe series, Bangladesh played their last ODI series in South Africa and registered their first-ever ODI series win there. Under the captaincy of Tamim, Bangladesh won six of their last seven ODI series. Read: Is there any potential suitor to replace Tamim Iqbal in T20I cricket? "We have to do what we have been doing for a long time," Tamim said. "Also, we need to rectify the mistakes that we made before." The first match of the series will start Friday at 1:15pm (Bangladesh time). The other two matches will be played on August 7 and 10 at the same time. All the matches of this series will take place at the same venue.

Tamim Iqbal retired from T20 International right after leading Bangladesh in an ODI series victory over West Indies on Saturday.  The left-handed batter announced his retirement through a short message on his official social media page. He wrote: “From today, consider me retired from T20 Internationals. Thank you, everyone.” Tamim had taken a six-month break from the format in January this year. Since then, there was speculation over his future in this format. While taking the break, Tamim said he is not retiring from T20Is.  Also Read: Shakib wants to see ‘team performance’ The batter has played his last T20I in 2020 against Zimbabwe in Mirpur. He later skipped the T20 World Cup that took place in the UAE and Oman— which was a surprising move from the batter.  While skipping the World Cup, Tamim said the younger players deserve more chances in the format to do well. Tamim’s decision had opened the door for Mohammad Naim and Soumya Sarkar to try their hand at the top of the order. But both failed to cement their places.  It is expected that Tamim, one of the best batters that Bangladesh has ever produced, will continue to play T20s on the domestic circuit, though, he did not say a word about it.  Tamim played 78 T20Is for the Tigers and scored 1758 runs with a century and seven half-centuries. Tamim remained the only Bangladeshi batter to have scored a century in the T20Is— that came against Oman in the T20 World Cup 2016 in India.  

Tamim Iqbal became Bangladesh's fastest 5,000 runs scorer in Test cricket against the West Indies on the first day of the first Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua Thursday. The southpaw who perished on 29 reached the milestone after scoring three runs off a Kemar Roach delivery in the seventh over. Among the Bangladeshi cricketers, Tamim is the second batsman to enter the 5,000 runs club in Test, playing 129 innings in 68 Tests. Also Read: Shakib wants to see ‘team performance’ Former captain Mushfiqur Rahim became the first Bangladeshi cricketer to score 5,000 runs in Test cricket, playing 149 innings in 81 Tests. Tamim, who needed just 19 runs to achieve the feat in the last Test match against Sri Lanka at home, failed due to his injury. The other leading scorers of Bangladesh in Test Cricket are Shakib Al Hasan (4113), Mominul Haque (3525), and Habibul Bashar (3026).

Bangladesh ODI captain Tamim Iqbal and batting coach Jamie Siddons left the capital for West Indies Monday (Jun 6) night by a Qatar Airways flight. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Yasir Ali are also part of the batch, the second to leave for the Tigers' tour of the West Indies. Bangladesh will have a full tour including two Tests, three ODI and three T201s in that order, with the first Test starting on June 16. The Test series will be part of the 2021-2023 ICC World Test Championship. Spinner Taijul Islam and pacer Mustafizur Rahman will fly for West Indies on Wednesday (June 8) while Bangladesh Test captain Shakib Al Hasan, who left Dhaka on Sunday for USA will join the team on June 10. Earlier in the first batch on Friday, fresh off the Test captaincy Mominul Haque, batsman Najmul Hossain Shanto, and pacemen Ebadot Hossain and Khaled Ahmed left Dhaka. They are already in the Caribbean.     Also Read: Mushfiqur, Liton grind Sri Lanka after Tamim’s ton Fast bowling coach Allan Donald will join the team in West Indies from London while Head Coach Russell Domingo and fielding coach Shane McDermott will also join the team from Cape Town.      On their last tour of the West Indies in 2018, Bangladesh clinched ODI and T20 series, but lost the Test series.  

On the last day of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, Al Amin Hossain, the right-arm pacer of Legends of Rupganj, bagged six wickets against champions Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, and Tamim Iqbal of Prime Bank Cricket Club hit a century against Gazi Group Cricketers.  Riding on their performance, Legends of Rupganj secured a win by eight wickets while Prime Bank won by 78 runs.  In most parts of the Dhaka League, Al Amin remained out of form. Before the six-wicket haul on Thursday, Al Amin bagged eight wickets in eight matches in the league.  Also read: Key Takeaways from the DPL 2022 Sheikh Jamal batted first on Thursday and posted below-par total of 116 for all wickets in Mirpur. Captain Imrul Kayes hit a fifty but the other batters were unable to play well against the bowling attack of Rupganj led by Mashrafe Bin Mortaza.  In reply, Rupganj chased the target of 117 in 25.1 overs with eight wickets in hand. Along with Tamim, who hit a century in the previous match, Anamul Haque Bijoy of Prime Bank hit 96 on Thursday. These two guided Prime Bank to a big total of 355 for seven. Tamim ended up on 137. Also read: Nayeem added to Test squad to replace injured Mehidy In reply, Gazi Group fell short off 78 runs despite the fifties from Al Amin Jnr (87) and Meherob Hasan (71). For Prime Bank, Taijul Islam and Rubel Hossain bagged three wickets each.  In the other match of the league on the same day, Abahani Limited beat Rupganj Tigers Cricket Club by 63 runs. Mohammad Saifuddin bagged four wickets for Abahani while Mosaddek Hossain Saikat took three. 

Bangladesh ODI captain Tamim Iqbal said they didn't expect a win in the first match of the three-match series against Afghanistan after losing too many wickets early while chasing a moderate total of 216 runs in Chattogram. Afghanistan batted first in this match after winning the toss. Bangladeshi bowlers were disciplined enough to restrict them to 215 runs all out in 49.1 overs with Mustafizur Rahman bagging three wickets.  In reply, Bangladesh lost five wickets in just 28 runs. Only a batter was able to reach a double-digit score among the first six.  READ: Bangladesh restrict Afghanistan to 215 in 1st ODI And at that point, Bangladesh had no hope to win this match as Tamim said after the match, though, Afif Hossain and Mehdiy Hasan Miraz made it possible.  “After losing those wickets in early overs, I have no belief that we can win this match,” Tamim said in the post-match briefing with the broadcaster. “If I say I have the belief to win this match, it would be a lie. The match was so difficult. I’m so happy— not for winning the match, but for the two youngsters who have played in an outstanding way,” Tamim added.  Bangladesh captain also said that having the bowlers like Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi as opponents makes it tough for any team to score runs easily.  While Tamim said he had no belief to win this match, Mehidy, who played a pivotal role to win this match, said he and Afif had the confidence to turn things on Afghanistan and register a victory. READ: Tamim aims to play 'good cricket' in ODIs vs Afghanistan “Afif and I talked to each other and said that we can win this match and for that, we have to bat really well,” Mehidy said in the post-match briefing with the broadcaster. “There is nothing that humans can’t achieve. Afif was outstanding, and he inspired me a lot.” Afif and Mehdiy added 174 runs in the unbeaten seventh-wicket stand— a Bangladesh record. They surpassed the previous record of 127 by Imrul Kayes and Mohammad Saifuddin.

Tamim Iqbal hit a ton for Minister Group Dhaka in the ongoing Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) against Sylhet Sunrisers on Friday in Chattogram, overshadowing Lindle Simmons' first ton of this season. Mahmudullah Riyad-led Dhaka won the toss and sent Sylhet to bat first. Within 5.5 overs, they amassed 50 runs for a wicket. Anamul Haque Bijoy was the first batter to fall for 18 off 16 balls with two fours and one six. After Anamul’s dismissal, Mohammad Mithun and Colin Ingram departed for 6 and a duck, respectively. But Simmons was firm at the other end of the wicket and completed the first hundred of this year’s BPL off 59 balls. READ: BPL 2022: Fletcher, Mushfiqur guide Khulna to 2nd win The West Indian batter scored 116 for 65 with 14 fours and five sixes. Riding on this wonderful batting display, Sylhet posted 175 for five.  For Dhaka, Masrhafe Bin Mortaza, Andre Russell, Ebadot Hossain and Qais Ahmed scalped one wicket each.  In reply, Dhaka’s openers — Mohammad Shahzad and Tamim Iqbal — came up with a giant stand of 173 runs in 16.5 overs. They wrapped up the game, scoring 177 for one wicket in 17 overs. READ: Bangabandhu BPL to resume Friday in Chattogram Shahzad fell for 53 off 39 balls with seven fours and one six, and Tamim remained not out for 111 off 64 balls with 17 fours and four sixes. It was the third century for Tamim in the T20s. It was the second win for Dhaka in five matches, while Sylhet suffered their second defeat in three matches.