National opener Tamim Iqbal is likely to fly to Australia this Friday for treatment on his Grade 1 meniscus injury. He applied for the visa at Australian High Commission yesterday and should get the paperwork done by today.
If everything goes according to plan, the Bangladesh Test vice-captain will meet Australian surgeon Dr David Young this Monday in Melbourne.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) initially thought of seeking long-distance consultancy from Young but with no time to waste ahead of the ICC World Cup on February 2015, both Tamim and the board high-ups agreed on first-hand treatment.
“Trouble occurs when I am running,” said Tamim to the media yesterday. “The pain sometimes gets unbearable. After several discussions with the board it was decided that I should leave as soon as possible and see the doctor,” he added.
The level of injury is not severe and BCB physician Debashish Chowdhury had already said these injuries are common among most athletes. However, an operation will mean the 25-year-old Tamim will be out for at least a month and doubts remain as to whether he will regain fitness before the mega event.
National chief selector Faruk Ahmed is hopeful of getting the hard-hitting southpaw’s services and said, “We will get to know the exact situation once he (Tamim) meets the doctors in Australia and also how much time will the recovery process need if he undergoes the operation.”
“I think we will have enough time to get him fit for the World Cup if the recovery time is one month. There is no doubt that he will be part of the final squad for the World Cup. He is a very important member,” he added.
Tamim picked up a knee injury during the recently-concluded bilateral series against Zimbabwe at home. However, it gradually intensified into a Grade 1 meniscus injury putting his chances of opening the innings for Bangladesh in the World Cup into major doubt.
