Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal’s Asia Cup 2018 journey is over after the left-hander fractured his left wrist during the tournament opener against Sri Lanka on Saturday.
Iqbal is likely to be out of action for at least six weeks after he was hit on his left wrist in the second over. Tamim immediately signalled towards the physiotherapist and retired hurt on 2 off 3 balls.
However, after the fall of the ninth wicket, Iqbal walked out to bat and helped Bangladesh add 32 for the final wicket with Mushfiqur Rahum going on to make a heroic 144.
Tamim had four fingers from his left gloves popping out to support a special padding on the glove. He didn’t face a delivery upon return, but helped Mushfiqur to take them to a respectable total of 261.
Later, he was taken to the hospital, where scans revealed a crack on the outside of his index finger.
“We took him to hospital only because it was a serious injury, and not just mere bruising,” Minajul Abedin, the Bangladesh chief selector, told ESPNcricinfo. “He was in some pain obviously and it wouldn’t have been prudent to continue batting.”
Tamim won’t be taking further part in the tournament, with Nazmul Hossain Shanto taking his place. Shanto is also recovering from a finger injury but his condition is improving.
“It was Tamim’s decision whether to come out again. If he doesn’t want to bat, no one can push him. The credit goes to him, he took the decision. Losing him is a big blow, but at the same time, we have some players in the bank,” Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza was quoted as saying by the ICC.
The 29-year-old is Bangladesh’s all-time leading run-scorer and centurion in ODI cricket and his absence will come as a significant blow to the team’s hopes in the tournament.
He played a key role in the recent triumph over West Indies in ODIs, scoring two centuries in three matches. With 42 half-centuries and 11 centuries, Iqbal is also the highest run-scorer for Bangladesh.
First Published: Sep 15, 2018 20:30 IST
Source: HindustanTimes