National opening batsman Tamim Iqbal will be unable to play for the Wellington Firebirds, one of the six New Zealand first-class cricket teams, in the HRV Cup Twenty20 which begins on December 27.
The time taken to process a visa for New Zealand visa is the reason.
“I was asked to be in New Zealand by December 23. But it will take more than two weeks to get the visa thus we (Tamim and Wellington) decided to drop the deal,” Tamim told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
The dashing south-paw added he had wanted to gain some experience by playing for Wellington.
“I maintain very good terms with Jammie (Siddons, the Wellington coach). I worked on my techniques and issues the last time I went there,” he added.
A year after first mooting the idea, Siddons lured his former star pupil Tamim to Wellington last season, describing him as an untapped Twenty20 batting force.
The 24-year-old played for the Firebirds’ in the team’s Twenty20 campaign from their fourth-round match against Otago last season.
