Opener Tamim Iqbal is one of the four senior horsemen in the Bangladesh team who are set to take part in their fourth ICC Cricket World Cup tournament. Having made his international debut in 2007, Tamim has come a long way in Bangladesh colours and have been a pillar for the batting unit. However, there has hardly been an occasion for the southpaw where he could cherish a success in the 50-over World Cup. With the 2019 World Cup knocking on the door, Tamim took some time to share his thoughts on the Bangladesh squad and their plans ahead.
Q. How balanced is team Bangladesh for the World Cup 2019?
Tamim: I genuinely do not think of these things when a team is announced. I feel happy when a new face comes in, someone who has done well to get selected. I feel good for them. There are always different opinions on a squad, and there will always be ifs and buts. Nobody can be 100 percent satisfied with a team. It is the same everywhere. Then again, it is not something I can talk about. There are selectors and the board people to do it.
Q. Do you think Bangladesh will do well with this team?
Tamim: I believe in my team but not the faces. It doesn’t matter whoever is playing, I always count on my team. Will people stop believing in the team if there is no Shakib, Mashrafe or Mushfiq in it? It should never work that way, rather we must keep faith in what we have at the present.
Q. As one of the leaders, how do you want to guide the team through the long tournament?
Tamim: It will be difficult. We are playing 14 matches and not nine. Hopefully, we will play five matches in Ireland (including the final) and then the World Cup. Sharing the workload is very important in that regard. I do not understand why but whenever a player is rested, we do not see it in a positive light. The priority should be on having a good and efficient man-management given the hectic schedule. We should understand the fact that the seniors in the team are 30 plus in age and have played enough cricket recently. So if at some stage, not in the World Cup, if the team management or a player feels the need to be rested, then it should be it. We should take that positively. The seniors in the team have played for 10 to 12 years but none have played 14 or 15 international matches in a row. There will be injury concerns for sure so the man-management needs to be top-notch this time. The players should be well-rested before stepping into the World Cup.
Q. Few of the cricketers namely, Liton Das and Soumya Sarkar have not been among runs. How do you view it?
Tamim: It is true that a few of us have not been in the best of forms recently, but it’s a new tournament and a new series. Whenever they go out to bat, it's a new game for them. It only takes one or two knocks to get your rhythm back. There might be occasions that you go to a tournament in your best of forms and do nothing. You have to keep your head high at all points. If they work on their weaknesses, I am sure they have enough talent in them to show the world how good they really are.
Q. This will be your fourth World Cup. Will it be different this time, because it is in English conditions?
Tamim: The (50-over) World Cup is different for me because I have not been able to perform my best in this tournament. I don’t want to take this as a pressure but I want to do well, because I have done nothing special in the 21 matches that I have played in World Cups. For me, it’s the process that I go though. That's the most important thing for me. It’s a big event but I do not want to prepare myself in a special manner for that, but rather keep doing what I do. I will be happy if I am successful and if not, I will take lessons from it.
Q. Are you in your best shape for a big event like the World Cup?
Tamim: I never see events as anything “big.” That's one of my strengths. I don't feel the pressure to score if I have failed in two matches and vice-versa. I prefer to take it match-by-match. Previous experiences do help to assess the condition quickly but it's not a must for me since I have played well there (in England) in the past. People ask me of my century at Lord’s every time I go to play there. I have played three or four times there since my century in 2010 but have never been as successful. So it doesn’t matter. Every day is a new day. Lord’s is special because it has a history but apart from that, all grounds or venues are same to me.
Q. Did you ever think that you will play in four World Cups when you started?
Tamim: Never. I never have long-term goals but rather have short-term ones and concentrate on achieving them one after another. I never thought I will get to represent my country for 12 years and counting. At this point, I would like to think of playing another World Cup (in 2023). Apart from my fitness and performance, I don’t see a reason why I should not aim to play another one. I will be 34 and it is a good age to play cricket. But at this point, I would like to think of the one which is knocking on the door.
