Sports Reporter :
Dashing opener Tamim Iqbal will not play in the three-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series against New Zealand (NZ) due to personal reasons. The first T20I match will be held on March 28 at Hamilton, the second T20I match will take place in Napier on March 30 and the third T20I match will be held at Auckland on April 1.
Tamim Iqbal informed this matter at a press conference held at Dunedin on Thursday.
Meanwhile, ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan did not go to New Zealand as he was granted paternal leave by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
Tamim Iqbal said, ” I wish best of luck for Bangladesh Cricket team. Before coming New Zealand I had informed Head Coach Russell Domingo and the selectors of BCB that I shall not be available for the upcoming T20I series against the New Zealand. I shall return home after playing the ODI series against the New Zealand. I hope Bangladesh Cricket team will do well against the hosts without me.”
Mahmudullah Riyad is the Captain of Bangladesh T20I side and the Bangladesh T20I squad against New Zealand have not yet announced. Without Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal may create problem for the Bangladesh side. Tamim Iqbal is an experienced T20I player. He played 78 T20 International matches. He scored 1758 runs in his T20I campaign and he is the highest run-getter in T20I cricket for his country. He is the only player of Bangladesh who hit a century in his T20I career. He has also seven half centuries in his T20I career.
The Tigers last took part in a T20I match against Zimbabwe last year. The T20I series against New Zealand will be their first preparation to take part in their World Cup T20I cricket, which is scheduled to take place in India this year.
