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Born with a silver spoon, Tamim is back amongst runs

Tamim is still very young — he turned 23 on Tuesday — but you get to hear enough anecdotes to write a book.

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There was a time when Tamim Iqbal’s days used to begin with pizza and Coke. There was also a time when his father would organise tournaments in Chittagong so that his son could play quality cricket. In short, Tamim was a pampered kid. Maybe, he still is. But not every other lad born with a silver spoon is humble or plays Test cricket.

The dashing left-handed opener is arguably the most talented batsman the country has produced. Tamim is still very young — he turned 23 on Tuesday — but you get to hear enough anecdotes to write a book. Apparently, a group of six buddies accompanies him on foreign holidays. Malaysia is one his most favourite destinations, and yes, the pals don’t even have to get their wallets.

Once, during a tri-series, Tamim thought he’d win the Man of the Series award. The big prize was a high-end motorbike. One of the stewards at the ground asked him if he’d part with the machine. He agreed. But as luck would have it, another player was adjudged player of the tournament. Tamim promptly asked the steward to enquire about the price of the bike at a showroom and paid up!

Gamini Silva would give up his life for his pitches. But Tamim would somehow tame the staunch disciplinarian. He would get the Sher-e-Bangla’s chief curator to allow him to bat on the match wicket a day before the game! And he would then ask the ground staff to line up at the boundary. Every catch taken would translate to 1,000 taka, a fortune for the poor workers.
The dashing left-handed opener, who has scored 193 runs with a half-century in each of the three matches in this edition of the continental championship, wasn’t supposed to play in the first place. The Bangladesh Cricket Board president overruled chief selector Akram Khan (Tamim’s uncle), thereby prompting Khan to resign. The highest office in the country then had to broker peace just before the start of the tournament.

“The things that have happened before were not in my control. I was working hard on my batting, I tried not to repeat the mistakes of the previous series. There was extra motivation from teammates and family members, my guru and even (former coach) Jamie Siddons, our coach Stuart Law. Special thanks to my teammates who didn’t let me think of my bad past,” was how Iqbal responded after Tuesday’s win over Sri Lanka.

Tamim’s father did everything he could to ensure his son became a cricketer. But alas, he passed away even before the dream could be realised. Tamim has scored a hundred at Lord’s, a knock he considers his best. But a victory on Thursday in the Asia Cup final would top that moment.

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