Asia Cup 2018: Tamim Iqbal reveals the feeling of going out to bat with a broken wrist

Iqbal showed courage when he decided to come out and bat with inury against Sri Lanka.

Tamim Iqbal | GETTY

Tamim Iqbal's Asia Cup 2018 is over after he suffered an injury on his left hand which broke his wrist. The delivery of Suranga Lakmal which got big on him sent him back to the dressing room immediately during the encounter between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. 

Tamim surprised everyone by coming back to bat when his team was nine down and his absence would have wrapped up their innings. Talking about the fight back, the Bangladeshi southpaw revealed what he felt. 

"I felt very brave in those ten seconds when the bowler was running in," Tamim told ESPNcricinfo. "I was very pumped up after hearing the roar in the stadium. I could have got out or anything else may have happened, but at that moment, I was very, very committed to the team and nation.

"It was quite risky now that I think about it. My injured hand was behind me but when I played the ball, you'd notice that the hand had come in front. If I had missed the ball, it would have hit my hand."

The 29-year-old disclosed that it was the plan of Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza to go out and bat. "I thought Mashrafe bhai was joking when he said I should go out to bat. The initial decision was for me to go to bat in the last over if I am off the strike. I would just have to stand there," said Tamim.

Even in such a tense situation, Tamim had a moment of laughter. "I started padding up when Rubel [Hossain] was at the crease. Mashrafe bhai cut open my gloves. For the first time in my life, someone had to put on my abdomen guard," Tamim laughed. "Mominul [Haque] and the others helped me put on my pads. My bandage got meshed with another glove. Everyone was helping me."

"I was very pumped up after hearing the roar in the stadium. I could have got out or anything else may have happened, but at that moment, I was very, very committed to the team and nation."

Tamim had to go out and face the same bowler who had injured him. It was the penultimate delivery of 47th over and he had to at least block the last delivery so that his partner, Mushfiqur Rahim batting with a century, could get back to the strike.

"When the moment arrived, it was still undecided what was going to happen. I didn't think of anything. I just walked out. The moment Mustafizur got out I didn't have a second thought. I was asked if I was sure of doing this. I said I was quite sure," he said.

The move paid off as Tamim and Rahim added 32 runs in the end. It was a match-turning move. Eventually, Bangladesh won the game by 137 runs.

"I had a lot of high hopes with the Asia Cup and I was overcome with emotions at that moment," he said. "I felt that if by playing this one ball the team can get five or 10 runs, it'd help the team. I thought that if I had to play one ball, then why not?

"Nobody expected that I'd play that one ball and 32 runs will come from the other end. Mushfiqur batted in an extraordinary manner."

The experience was totally different. Tamim said It was only for his country and the team. 

"I don't think I have experienced such a thing in my life," he said. "I can see all the reactions [now], but when I was going out to bat or facing that delivery, I didn't think of what might happen afterward. I just went there for the team and country."
 

 
 

By Sihyeu Singh - 17 Sep, 2018

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