While continuous drizzle marred the first day’s game of the opening round of 21st National Cricket League (NCL), Tamim’s unimpressive return to the country’s flagship first class tournament after four years was the only talking point.
The opener, considered as the best batsman of the country, scored just 30 off 105 during his side’s Chattogram Division’s match against Dhaka Metro at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Thursday. But his stay in the crease was shaky as he survived from some dismissals before he threw away his wicket giving Mahmudullah Riyad a return catch.
But what looked nasty was that it was a short delivery from an off-spinner, which any batsman could dispatch for boundary or even six. But what Tamim tried to do, was not understandable. The shot he played was neither a pull shot nor a glance, only a half-hearted shot that produced the wicket for Riyad who himself was astonished by the way Tamim played the shot.
Tamim himself was truly disappointed. He looked dejected after the dismissal as he stood in the crease for some time with heads down to the earth as it seemed he also couldn’t believe the way he played the shot.
Tamim, who took a short break from the cricket following his poor form in World Cup and the subsequent ODI series in Sri Lanka, returned to competitive cricket with the NCL.
As he returned to cricket after long time, he looked watchful but the discomfort of playing cricket after a long gap was evident in how he was playing his shot. He struggled to find the gap and also on some occasions couldn’t play some of his favourite shots with ease.
Still he looked determined to score runs as he wanted to be amongst runs before the Test series against India. The national players in fact took the NCL as part of the preparation campaign for the Test series in India with which Bangladesh would start its World Test Championship journey.
“It is natural since he is playing competitive cricket after a long time. He needs some time to get back to his zone,” said selector Habibul Bashar Sumon. “The way he got out, sometimes it happens in cricket. But I am sure he will get back amongst runs very soon. He himself is determined to get back to the form.”
