Tamim ready to fire English bowlers
He has a fantastic batting average in Test against the tourists
Sports Reporter
If any batsman from Bangladesh could give England bowlers a nightmare, it is none other than Tamim Iqbal who indeed shot into the fame by his overwhelming performance against this opponent in 2010.
Bangladesh played back to back home and away series in that year what unarguably was the best year for the opener as he established him as the leading batsman of the country. After making international debut in 2007, Tamim was mere a promising batsman who had just limited shot into his repertoire but the series against England, the southpaw evolved into a batsman coming of age, unleashing some extraordinary shots which left England baffled.
Tamim was the only batsman in Bangladeshs side in that series to dominate the English bowlers with such audacity and brute. Even though he couldnt resist Bangladesh being whitewashed in both ODI and Test series, Tamims dazzling batting earned a huge respect and accolade for him.
Tamim so far played nine ODIs and four Tests against England and every time took the English bowlers in disdain, making him the nemesis of the opponent. While his ODI numbers are not eye-catching, the Test stat against this opponent is tremendous.
In his nine ODIs, he scored 265 runs at an average of 29.44 what was almost three less than his overall batting average. But what is amazing is his strike what stands against England on 106.85 when his overall strike rate is 78.50. The strike rate proved how aggressive he was when he got England as his opponent. He has just one century against England in ODI without any half-century but that 125 is still considered as the best ODI knock of him.
Tamims strike rate and average was much higher than his overall number in Test against England. He made 505 runs in eight innings of four Tests against England at an extraordinary average of 63.12 when his overall average is 39.46. Of the batsmen who played against England after 1976, it remains the best average for any batsman. Tamim overall is in sixth place as far as Test average against England is concerned with predictably legend Don Bradman leading the way with 89.78.
His extraordinary Test average against England however wasnt lauded much because he didnt play that much Tests against them. But the coming two Test matches would give him the chance to etch his name as the most successful batsman against England in the modern age.
Though he played just four matches, Tamims strike rate of 85.59 against England in longer version format is arguably the best amongst all other batsmen. His career strike rate on the other hand is 55.40. Tamim even was on the verge of being the fifth batsman in the crickets history to hit a Test century before the lunch on his just second Test against England at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. He missed it by being out on 71 ball-85 following a controversial decision made by umpire.
Of the eight innings he played against England, Tamim crossed fifty marks six times with making two centuries which came in Lords and Old Trafford in back-to-back Test. The number in both ODI and Test showed how Tamim got the English attack particularly to his likings.
While England series gave him name and fame six years ago, Tamim is now a matured and restrained person. The batting style is now completely changed as he values his wicket now more than the past. So that aggressive batting probably now wont be in the cards but his hunger for runs now increased amazingly.
After that England series, it was expected Tamim would reach the zenith but a prolonged bad patch and inconsistency even put a question mark on his career before he regained his consistency just a couple of years ago. Lately he has honed the skill of converting the fifty to century that made him more assured and reliable batsman of the current lot.
Junaid Siddique who played a perfect foil to Tamim during the series against England in 2010 said this Tamim could be more dangerous for England than 2010.
He is now matured and knows how to prolong his innings. He often threw way his wicket six years ago but recently I had seen a huge change in his batting style. If he gets going, Bangladesh would have the chance to dominate England.
