Khaleej Times

Bangladesh’s Tamim bats for Danube

- Rituraj Borkakoty rituraj@khaleejtim­es.com

dubai — Bangladesh superstar Tamim Iqbal will soon appear in Danube’s hoardings. The prolific opening batsman was signed as Danube brand ambassador for Bangladesh.

To mark the occasion, Danube also launched the jersey of their T10 team Bengal Tigers for the second season of the shortest format of the game.

The 29-year-old Bangladesh player was delighted to start a partnershi­p with the UAE-based group. “I believe that Danube group is a synonym for hard work. I have been an admirer of the brand for some time now. Danube Group success story is also very inspiring. Honestly, it gives me immense pleasure to be part of the group,” Tamim said at a press conference in Dubai on Monday.

“More than a million Bangladesh­is live in the UAE. Bangladesh­is are very emotional when it comes to cricket.

“When Mr Anis got in touch with me and shared his vision, I thought this was the perfect opportunit­y for Bangladesh­is who live in the UAE to be associated with a top group. This was the reason I came on the board and also I am very happy to be a part of Bengal Tigers.”

Anis Sajan, managing director of Danube, said he was proud to have added Tamim’s name to the list of Danube brand ambassador­s.

“Much of Bangladesh’s success can be credited to Tamim’s aggressive style of batting and his pure skill and talent with the bat. He is full of self-belief and gives his 100 percent in whatever he does. We always want to associate with someone who reflects the same quality as us,” he said on Monday.

“And we are confident that Tamim qualities resonate with our qualities. We are very happy to have him as the face of Danube Group in Bangladesh for years to come. Also, Tamim will be the face of Bengal Tigers for the upcoming T10 cricket league.”

Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmad and Afghanista­n spinner Mohammad Nabi were also present on the occasion.

Sajan revealed England wicketkeep­er-batsman Sam Billings will captain Bengal Tigers in the second edition of the T10 League as Sarfraz would not be available due to his Pakistan commitment­s.

“Sarfraz is not going to play this season. So Sam Billings will keep wickets and he will also be the captain of our team,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rizwan Sajan, founder and chairman of Danube Group, said: “I am honoured to sign Mr Tamim as our brand ambassador for Bangladesh.

“We all have witnessed his brave and breath-taking game recently in Asia cup, where he batted with one hand after the fall of Bangladesh’s ninth wicket. This clearly reflects his commitment and never say die spirit.

“It is definitely our privilege to work with someone who has the same values and passion for excellence as all of us at Danube. We are delighted to welcome him to our group and look forward to a fruitful and lasting relationsh­ip with him.”

Sarfraz is not going to play this season. So Sam Billings will keep wickets and he will also be the captain of our team

Anis Sajan

 ?? Photo by Shihab ?? From left: Sarfraz Ahmed, Rizwan Sajan, Mohammad Nabi, Anis Sajan, Tamim Iqbal and Neelesh Bhatnagar attend the Bengal Tigers’ team jersey launch in Dubai on Monday. —
Photo by Shihab From left: Sarfraz Ahmed, Rizwan Sajan, Mohammad Nabi, Anis Sajan, Tamim Iqbal and Neelesh Bhatnagar attend the Bengal Tigers’ team jersey launch in Dubai on Monday. —

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