BCB hoping for a fit Tamim vs Pakistan

Tamim Iqbal will likely be fit for Bangladesh’s Test series against Pakistan in November-December, said Bangladesh Cricket Board’s physician Debashish Chowdhury on Thursday.

Tamim, after suffering from a knee injury during the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League in June, missed the Twenty20 international series against Zimbabwe, Australia and New Zealand. That led to him opting out of the T20 World Cup later this year in UAE and Oman.

The Bangladesh one-day international skipper left Dhaka on Thursday night to play in the Everest Premier League in Nepal, which will start on September 25. Tamim will be playing for Bhairahawa Gladiators.

Debashish said that the EPL is a part of Tamim’s rehabilitation process, and it will allow them to decide how to treat him later on.

“Our plan with Tamim for his rehabilitation included the EPL. By playing, it will be understood how he is managing his skills and other things. And depending on the feedback from EPL, we will decide on his treatment later on. We are hoping to have Tamim fit for the upcoming Tests against Pakistan,” Debashish said.

Debashish also informed that Tamim was advised to go through an eight-week rehabilitation process, and now he has almost completed it.

“Tamim was advised to go through an eight-week rehabilitation process. He has followed the plan under the supervision of the national team physio and trainer. He is almost at the end of his rehabilitation now,” he added.

Ahead of the EPL, Tamim started practising his batting at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. Debashish said that the left-handed batsman had been regaining confidence.

“Till now, Tamim is fairly confident. He is doing all the skill training with almost full effort. But until he plays in a match, he will not be able to judge himself properly. So, playing in this league is very important for his rehabilitation process. Because that will help us get feedback on his situation,” the BCB physician said.

Pakistan will play three T20Is and two Tests in Bangladesh. The first Test is scheduled to start on November 26 at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.