Mar 14,2020
A file photo from March 1, 2020 shows Bangladesh’s new one-day international captain Tamim Iqbal (R) taking a catch while his predecessor Mashrafee bin Murtaza looks on during a training session in Sylhet. — BCB photo
Newly-appointed Bangladesh one-day international captain Tamim Iqbal on Saturday urged everyone not to expect him to deliver like his predecessor Mashrafee bin Murtaza too soon and pleaded for time to become successful in his new role.
Tamim was appointed as Bangladesh one-day captain last week replacing Mashrafee, who stepped down following the three-match series against Zimbabwe.
In his five years as ODI captain, Mashrafee led Bangladesh to 50 wins in 88 matches and successfully transformed them as a respected limited-over side from perennial international whipping boys.
‘I am taking over from someone it’s tough to go to his level straightway. I know it very well. He led us for so many years. We achieved many things under him,’ Tamim told reporters in his first public comments since he was named new captain.
‘It will be unfair on me if you expect me to go his level. I am not saying I cannot do that or this team cannot do that. But I need time,’ he said.
Admitting that he lacked experience as captain, Tamim insisted that the Board, media and fans must give him a certain period before they shed light on his performance as captain.
‘To be frank, I am not a very experienced captain, if you say I did captaincy in many places it’s not like that, so please keep faith on me. I need to be given time,’ said Tamim.
‘Time is very important factor for me. You have to keep patience with me. Our fans also have to keep patience. I will try to do whatever it takes for me to do for the best interest of the team,’ said Tamim.
‘One series, two series, five matches can go wrong. I hope it will not happen. If happens I will try to come out of that at the earliest time. If in six months, one-year or one-and-half year I cannot do anything for the team I will quit the captaincy,’ he said.
‘I have always said there can be always criticism about batting. But about captaincy I must be given time. Its new challenge for me and I should be given time,’ he said.
Tamim, who will be 31 later this month, led Bangladesh in three ODIs against Sri Lanka in July last year in the absence of the injured Mashrafee, but failed to inspire the team with Bangladesh losing all three matches.
The left-hander said as a captain his priority will be first sorting out the off the field issues and doing the small things correct.
‘You see on the field many things are out of our control… what we can control is team culture, what we are thinking off the field , how professional we are, I think here how we can improve that will be my first task,’ said Tamim.
‘Whenever I think how I can take this team forward, the first thing that strikes in my mind is that I need to sort out off the field issues…it’s not that we are now in a big disciplinary trouble. I think we are world’s one of the most disciplined teams.
‘But still we can get better. If I can make these things correct and it is reflected in our performance on the field that will be good,’ he said.
‘For me one of the most important things is correcting the small things. How we can train better, do better as a team. How I can contribute for other players. How someone else can take my help better. Without thinking for long-term goal, if we can do the small things correctly things will happen automatically,’ added the southpaw.
Tamim’s fresh tenure as ODI captain will start with the one-off match against Pakistan on April 1.
Bangladesh Cricket Board appointed Tamim with a plan for World Cup 2023 but the left-hander said he was not thinking that far at the moment.
‘To be frankly I am not thinking that far.., if team does well, I do well I will start thinking of 2023. At the moment my concentration is doing few things right, if we go Pakistan concentrate on that,’ he said.
