Tamim regrets not having more Test fixtures for Bangladesh

Bangladesh batsman Tamim Iqbal, who is an avid fan of Test cricket, thinks Bangladesh not playing more in the whites is holding the team back from achieving their full potentials.

Sports Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 27 July 2016, 08:40 PM
Updated : 27 July 2016, 08:42 PM

National teams are busy playing the longest form of the game around the world at the moment.

Top-ranked Australia are touring Sri Lanka, England are playing Pakistan at home and India are at the Caribbean islands now.

New Zealand have arrived in Zimbabwe with the first Test set for Thursday.

Bangladesh are busy with a conditioning camp, held to maintain the players' fitness during long gaps between international fixtures, for England's trip in late September. What's worse though is that even that tour has come under security cloud.

If the series is cleared, however, Bangladesh will be able to play Tests after 14 months. The last time they played the traditional format of the game, it was against South Africa in August last year in their backyard.

The long Test drought is not just painful for Tamim, who is in fine fettle.

His run of form in Test was superb last year but the long gap will definitely force him to rediscover his touch.

"A cricketer always dreams of playing Test matches; dreams of playing 100 Tests for his country," Tamim said on Wednesday.

"Those who started their Test career when I did have already played 80-90 Tests, whereas I've played just [42].

"It’s a bit sad for me. I just wish I could play more Tests - then I would've had more runs; my teammates would've had more success."

The left-handed opener made his Test debut on Jan 4, 2008. Since then England's Alastair Cook has played 107 Tests, James Anderson 87 and Stuart Broad 95. Australia's Michael Clarke, who retired about a year ago, had played 84 since Tamim's debut.

England and Australia usually have a packed Test schedule but India pacer Ishant Sharma and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who retired about a year and a half ago, have played 66 Tests at the same time.

Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews, who made his Test debut a year and a half after Tamim, has played 18 matches more than he has.

Having received his Test cap five years after Tamim, England batsman Joe Root [44], too, has played more games than the 27-year-old Bangladeshi.

Tamim, however, is well aware of ICC policies and Bangladesh Cricket Board's diplomatic and administrative flaws.

But pragmatic as he is, Tamim does not pile all the blame on others. He thinks the players, too, must play a pivotal role to earn more Test fixtures.

"I always say it’s not in our hands, but we can change all that with our performance, if we play well, win more matches…maybe then the top teams will be eager to play us," Tamim added.

"It doesn't matter what we say, or how many reasons we put forth. I think it entirely depends upon the players. If we can bring Bangladesh a good Test result, we will then be able to play more Test matches."