A broken wrist after being struck by Suranga Lakmal in the second over of the Asia Cup game between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh had everyone writing on how this was the end of Tamim Iqbal’s road in this edition of the event. But then, Tamim decided to put the team ahead of his own misery. Walking in with a plastered left hand, Tamim added 32 runs with centurion Mushfiqur Rahim as Bangladesh put up a challenging 261 on the board.
Commenting on that moment when he was set to face the first ball after walking back onto the field at the fall of Bangladesh’s ninth wicket, Tamim told ESPNcricinfo: “I felt very brave in those ten seconds when the bowler was running in. I was very pumped up after hearing the roar in the stadium. I could have got out or anything else may have happened, but in that moment, I was very, very committed to the team and nation.
“It was quite risky now that I think about it. My injured hand was behind me but when I played the ball, you’d notice that the hand had come in front. If I had missed the ball, it would have hit my hand.”
Sharing some hilarious moments that led to him finally arriving to the batting crease, Tamim said: “I started padding up when Rubel [Hossain] was at the crease. Mashrafe bhai cut open my gloves. For the first time in my life, someone had to put on my abdomen guard. Mominul [Haque] and the others helped me put on my pads. My bandage got meshed with another glove. Everyone was helping me.
{{/usCountry}}Sharing some hilarious moments that led to him finally arriving to the batting crease, Tamim said: “I started padding up when Rubel [Hossain] was at the crease. Mashrafe bhai cut open my gloves. For the first time in my life, someone had to put on my abdomen guard. Mominul [Haque] and the others helped me put on my pads. My bandage got meshed with another glove. Everyone was helping me.
{{/usCountry}}“When the moment arrived, it was still undecided what was going to happen. I didn’t think of anything. I just walked out. The moment Mustafizur got out I didn’t have a second thought. I was asked if I was sure of doing this. I said I was quite sure.”
While he has been lauded by cricket fans around the world for his show of courage, Tamim said that he wasn’t thinking of the reactions when he walked onto the ground. “I don’t think I have experienced such a thing in my life,” he said. “I can see all the reactions [now], but when I was going out to bat or facing that delivery, I didn’t think of what might happen afterwards. I just went there for the team and country,” he said.