Tamim Iqbal, the Bangladesh opener, on Sunday (September 16) all but confirmed that his Asia Cup campaign has come to an end, a day after he sustained a fracture to his wrist during the game against Sri Lanka. The left-handed batsman was struck on his left wrist by a Suranga Lakmal delivery in the second over of the game and left the field immediately. While scans confirmed the fracture, Bangladesh are still waiting for a second scan before arriving at a decision.
However, Tamim’s tone and mood while speaking to the media suggested that the hopes of him playing a further part in the competition were bleak. “I don’t think I have been this disappointed, this heartbroken in 10 years of my international career. I had very high hopes when coming to the Asia Cup. But unfortunately, leaving the scene because of injury is very unfortunate,” Tamim told reporters in Dubai.
Tamim, who returned to the ground after a visit to the hospital, was seen with a sling around his left-arm. However, towards the end of Bangladesh’s innings with one wicket remaining, the 29-year old came out to bat again, with a heavy taping on the first two fingers of his left hand and his fractured wrist.
In what was an inspiring 32-run last-wicket stand with Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim faced one delivery which he managed to survive while batting one-handed. Speaking about his decision to walk out to bat, Tamim said: “I have been extremely downcast since last night. Yesterday, after what happened, I had the realisation that I won’t play a part in this Asia Cup. So, I did however much was possible for me to do. I thought that if I was destined to play just one more ball in the Asia Cup, I thought ‘why not that ball?’ After that there was an important partnership because of that one ball, those are important issues, but at the end of the day I am very heartbroken,” said Tamim.
“For the 15-20 seconds my mindset was on another level. It was killing me that probably it would be the last ball I will face in this Asia Cup. That was a very emotional thing and I very much wanted to do something for the nation,” he added.
