Tamim makes 'confident' comeback but still feeling discomfort in back
Tamim hit a few gorgeous drives, pick-ups and flicks in his confident 44-run knock. He admitted being rusty but hopes to get better in the next match.
Bangladesh opening batter Tamim Iqbal looked pretty much at home on his return to international cricket after an eventful last few months. Although the southpaw, who has been battling a back injury for a while, was largely untroubled in his 58-ball-44, Tamim said in the post-match press conference that there are still signs of discomfort.
After his retirement saga was over, Tamim headed to England for treatment and went through a rehabilitation process on return to the country.
He made himself unavailable for the Asia Cup and made his return to international cricket through the ongoing ODI series. He didn't get to bat in the first ODI but looked in control in the second game against the likes of Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson and Lockie Ferguson.
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Bangladesh are likely to announce the final squad for the World Cup in a couple of days. Tamim should be an automatic choice in the squad but still feeling discomfort can be a cause of concern for the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
"It's good to be back," said Tamim. "I fielded for around 30 overs in the first match. Today I fielded 50 overs and batted around 20 overs. But there is still discomfort [in the back]. I and the physio are trying to overcome that. But it's true that there is discomfort."
Tamim admitted that there were nerves before he came out to bat. "To be honest, I was nervous. I cannot say it was just another match. Given the events in the last few months, I was nervous. But the nerves eased a bit after the first over," he said.
Tamim hit a few gorgeous drives, pick-ups and flicks in his confident 44-run knock. He admitted being rusty but hopes to get better in the next match.
"I've got some confidence. The nervousness will be less in the next match. I've been discussing with the medical team how my body is going to react. You know, I am back from an injury. It was important for me to spend time in the middle. There is still some rustiness. But the time I spent was important," he stated.
