Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal is likely to be fit for the T20 World Cup slated to be played in UAE and Oman from October 17. The hard-hitting left-handed batsman is currently undergoing a rehabilitation process to recover fully from a knee injury. Tamim opted out of action for a long time following the ODI series against Zimbabwe in July.
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB)'s chief physician Debashish Chowdhury is confident of Tamim’s participation in the T20 World Cup. "Tamim is recovering quite well. This injury required rest and rehabilitation. We planned it accordingly and he is responding to it very well," said Chowdhury.
"From the next week, he will start the skill session that will begin with some knocking at home and later (he will be) starting the net session. So far, he has completed almost five weeks and he completed the gym sessions without any complaint. When he starts running and participates in the skill session, we can have a clearer picture of his recovery. But the way he is improving, we are confident that he will be available for the T20 World Cup," he added.
The experienced opening batsman sustained an injury to his right knee during Bangladesh’s two-match Test series against Sri Lanka in April-May. He did take part in the subsequent ODI series against the islanders and also played in the Dhaka Premier Division T20 League. He had to eventually pull out of the tournament midway after aggravating the injury. Tamim had to also miss the one-off Test against Zimbabwe.
The southpaw also missed the T20I series against Zimbabwe and subsequently skipped the five-match T20I series against Australia. He has not been selected for the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand slated to kick off from September 1.
BCB chief selector Minhajul Abedin also sounded optimistic and confident of Tamim’s availability for the T20 World Cup.
"I don't see any doubt. Tamim is one of the best batsmen in the country and there is no question about it. He will play when he is fit and he will be with the team. We are keeping a close eye on his development," Abedin was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.