Tamim Iqbal suffers 'massive' heart attack in middle of DPL game, urgently hospitalised: 'Difficult time for all of us'
The incident occurred in the middle of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League game between Mohammedan Sporting Club and Shinepukur Cricket Club
Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal, on Monday, was rushed to the hospital in the middle of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League game between Mohammedan Sporting Club and Shinepukur Cricket Club at the BKSP ground in Savar after suffering from massive heart attack.
The incident occurred when Tamim was fielding in the first innings of the 50-over contest. Initially, a helicopter was arranged to take the veteran batter to the hospital, but could not be flown from the venue. He was later taken to the Fazilatunnesa Hospital.
"He complained of having chest pain and was taken to a nearby hospital where he was checked and underwent an ECG," BCB chief physician Debashish Chowdhury confirmed. "There was a little problem and at times you cannot understand immediately (what the condition of the heart is).
"In the first blood test, there was a problem. He said he was feeling uncomfortable and wanted to go back to Dhaka. An ambulance was called in, and when he was returning to the field from the hospital, he felt a pain in his chest again. He was then brought to the hospital for the second time, and it seemed he had a massive heart attack. Now he is under observation at Fazilatunnesa Hospital"
Tamim announced his retirement from international cricket in January this year, ahead of the team's departure from the Champions Trophy tournament. He made his international debut in a 2007 One-Day International (ODI) against Zimbabwe in Harare. He played 243 ODIs, 70 tests, and 78 Twenty20 internationals (T20Is). He scored over 15,000 runs across all formats and hit 25 centuries - the most by any Bangladesh batter.
He had announced his retirement previously a few months before the start of the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, but reversed his decision a day later. He eventually missed the ICC tournament due to a back injury. The 35-year-old last played for Bangladesh in their 2-0 ODI series defeat at home against New Zealand in September 2023.
"I have been away from international cricket for a long time. That distance will remain. My chapter in international cricket is over," he had written in a post on social media. "I have been thinking about this for a long time. Now that a big event like the Champions Trophy is coming up, I do not want to be the focus of anyone's attention, which could lead to the team losing their focus."
