Tamim Iqbal needs to balance between batting performance and pressure of captaincy

"I hope Tamim fares better both as a batsman and captain, which would definitely be a tough task after the era of Mashrafe. Tamim needs to perform with the bat, which would be vital to boosting his confidence while leading the team. He must not forget how Mashrafe’s poor performance came under the scanner while leading the team in World Cup 2019"

The world is on fire – a virus named SARS-CoV-2 has not only showed up its effects but the kind of panic it has created that people all over the world is devoured by fear. It all started in China and gradually started to spread across South and East Asia, Europe, Middle East, Latin, and North America. A few days back, three Bangladeshis have been detected as a positive case of Coronavirus, but the status of the patients is stable and the concerned officials have taken necessary steps to prevent the disease.

Bangladesh have entered from Step 1 to Step 2, but it is highly unlikely that the status of Bangladesh would be like China, Iran or Italy.

Bangladesh would be safe!

Let’s get back to cricket

Amid the chaos and fear of SARS-CoV-2, sporting activities in Bangladesh have not come to a standstill like Italy, where Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has suspended Serie A matches and other sporting activities till further notice. Bangladesh cricket is still active and have not waited long to announce the new captain for the 50-over format. The Bangladesh Cricket Board has decided that Tamim Iqbal would be the next skipper as the think-tank thinks, he would be able to carry on the legacy of Mashrafe Bin Mortaza.

In fact, Tamim was the captain of Bangladesh during the Sri Lanka tour last year. Bangladesh had been gifted a whitewash and as a captain, Tamim remained below-par with the bat (0, 19 and 2 were his scores from 3 matches) while on the field, as a captain, he was uninspiring. So the first experience as the captain of Tigers remains bitter, but that does mean it would remain as such until and unless Tamim learns to balance between his batting performance and pressure of captaincy.

As a batsman, Tamim is known to be a master-blaster. He has been given the license to kill and even though he has learned to mix caution with aggression after a bad-patch in 2014, which has paid rich dividends, whether he would be able to handle the pressure of captaincy or not remains a moot question.     

Leading the cricket team is a tough task…

Your day to day performance with the bat and ball and captaincy display always comes under the microscope.

The captain has to face a lot of heat and to shut the mouth of the critics; it becomes a must-task for the captain to perform consistently even when the team is not doing well. Then, why his inspiring displays are not helping to lift the team also becomes a matter of concern not only for the team but the captain himself as well.

Again, how smartly someone exhibits his captaincy skills on the field and how calm and composed he remains when the chips are down would always be noticed and analyzed by all. Above all, the skill of man-management is very important.   

In the longer formats captaincy is all about intelligence, skill, courage, and composure under pressure. One can say Tamim is a smart person. Skillfully sound. Blessed with courage. But as a matter of fact, he lacks the calm and composure. And that is where Tamim would need to improve.

Despite having a rough history of losing his cool more often, one can expect that Tamim has learned to control his temper and became matured enough to understand the intricacies of the topsy-turvy world of international cricket.  

Tamim needs to lead from the front

Still, now, I think Mahmudullah Riyad would have been the ideal choice to lead the team in 50-over formats, but as the Board has already invested faith in Tamim, thus, it is time to hope for the best.

I hope Tamim fares better both as a batsman and captain, which would definitely be a tough task after the era of Mashrafe. Tamim needs to perform with the bat, which would be vital to boosting his confidence while leading the team. He must not forget how Mashrafe’s poor performance came under the scanner while leading the team in World Cup 2019.  

Tamim needs to lead from the front and set an example for others.

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 10/03/2020 Tamim Iqbal needs to balance between batting performance and pressure of captaincy 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar