Fitness not the only challenge for Tamim going ahead

When Tamim Iqbal played that square cut against Fazalhaq Farooqi on Wednesday (July 5), it surely must have come as a relief to the Bangladesh dressing room.

While batting in the first ODI against Afghanistan at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Cricket Stadium, the Bangladesh ODI skipper never looked in any kind of discomfort as far as his back pain is concerned. He stood up tall to play the aforementioned shot and bisected the short delivery through backward point for a boundary.

Tamim had missed the lone Test match against Afghanistan with a stiff back but went on to raise quite a few eyebrows in the press conference ahead of the first ODI, where he said that he's available to play the series opener despite not being hundred percent fit.

Cricbuzz understands that Tamim's honest admission did not go down well with the team management, who had a chat with him ahead of the opening ODI. It is also learnt that the left-handed batsman was advised to take rest if he felt he's not hundred percent fit but Tamim decided against it eventually.

"We decided last night that he (Tamim) will play," said a BCB official, who is well aware of the development, on Wednesday. "This kind of pain decreases after the body is warmed up. Look, when he stretched forward and played the drive or played the cut going back, there was no sign that he was in pain. It probably went away.

"It's unfortunate that he got out but I feel he just wanted to see where he stands with the pain. The pain might return when he is standing for a long time (while fielding) and that is one concern but at the same time he felt that he needs to see his present status as far as his back stiffness is concerned."

A member of the BCB medical team added that Tamim had given a fitness test two days before the first game and was allowed to play only after passing the test.

"Unless he (Tamim) passed the fitness test he cannot make himself available considering he is coming from an injury. He did well in the fitness test," said the official.

There are also reports that Chandika Hathurusingha has spoken to Nazmul Hasan and expressed his dissatisfaction regarding the whole affair. It is quite well known that Hathurusingha is very strict when it comes to fitness issues and he does not buy the idea of playing someone who is not totally fit. Which makes sense because it is hard to ask someone to give his hundred percent if he is not totally fit; and there's also a chance that the individual might end up aggravating the injury during the match. BCB president Nazmul Hasan suggested the same while speaking to a Bengali daily.

"This is not a game between two localities rather it is an international game and before the opening game the captain is saying that he is not fit but will play. This cannot be a professional approach and I have spoken with the coach (Hathurusingha) and he is very angry considering he is not used to these kinds of things. Basically Tamim need to clarify what he wants," Nazmul was quoted by Protidiner Bangladesh on Wednesday.

Tamim might have played this time after admitting that he's not 100 percent but whether he will be allowed to do the same in the near future remains to be seen, especially in the backdrop of what the BCB chieftain had to say.

At least it looks like Tamim is feeling the pressure if not anything else.