Sports personalities around the world believing that different habits and routines, largely based on superstitions, will put them in a better position to perform is hardly a new thing in the sporting arena.
18-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams does not change her socks during a tournament while Michael Jordan, one of the greatest ever basketball players in history, always wore his UNC (University of North Carolina) shorts just before putting on his NBA shorts. Former England football captain and Chelsea stalwart John Terry meanwhile once admitted he has around 50 superstitions that he has to observe before the start of a competitive fixture.
The game of cricket and superstitions also go hand in hand. No matter how established a cricketer is, every now and then, they have always been known to possess certain superstitions. Even the god of the game, Sachin Tendulkar, is not immune to superstitions. The little master always puts on his left pad first before going out to bat.
The Bangladesh cricketers are no different.
When opener Tamim Iqbal changed his jersey number from 29 to 28 in the home ODI series against India in June, 2014, it caught the attention of many.
Ever since his debut in 2007, Tamim has been sporting 29 as his jersey number. However, according to his close associates, the southpaw’s lean patch of form in the recent past forced the 25-year old cricketer to think out of the box. Hence, the new jersey number – 28.
Bangladesh Cricket Board cricket operations manage Sabbir Khan informed Dhaka Tribune yesterday that Tamim first wanted to alter his jersey number in the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 in Dhaka. “But, it was not possible as the squad was already submitted with all the necessary information.”
Months after the world event, Tamim got his wish fulfilled through the ODIs against India.
Has luck changed for Tamim since the modification? Well, comparing his figures following the India series to that of the last two years, his numbers have certainly gone up.
However, it will be Tamim himself who can justify his belief. The picture will be much clearer in 2015, when Bangladesh will play the ICC World Cup and are scheduled to host Pakistan, India, South Africa and Australia in bilateral series.
Tamim is currently undergoing rehab in Australia following his knee surgery and is likely to return to the country this Saturday.
