Iqbal lauds Bangladesh fans as biggest asset
Bengal Tigers ambassador talks about his approach to the game
Bangladesh’s hard-hitting opener Tamim Iqbal feels that his country’s cricket fans are their biggest asset.
Speaking to Gulf News, Iqbal, referring to the role that their fans had played in lifting Bangladesh cricket, said: “Bangladesh fans are the biggest asset we have and they support us every day whenever we play cricket. When Bangladesh played in Dubai recently, at one point I felt like I was in Dhaka. There is so much of crowd support for us and so in that aspect we are very lucky.”
Iqbal was named as brand ambassador of the Bengal Tigers, who will compete in the upcoming T10 League in Sharjah. He, along with Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmad and Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi, unveiled the Bengal Tigers team jersey in the presence of team mentor Anis Sajan and owners Rizwan Sajan and Neelesh Bhatnagar. “I am excited to be the face of Bengal Tigers. This is a team that all Bangladeshis should be proud of,” said Iqbal.
Iqbal won the hearts of everyone in the recent Asia Cup when he came out to bat with a fractured left wrist after the fall of the ninth wicket against Sri Lanka and hung on with century-maker Mushfiqur Rahim to add 32 runs for the last wicket. “I feel it was my duty though I got injured. I knew if can face a few balls that can give Bangladesh few more runs that can turn advantageous to the team. I think even if it was anyone else in my shoes, he too would have done the same thing because we Bangladeshis are very passionate about cricket. Not everybody gets a chance to represent the country,” he said.
Iqbal, who enjoys playing breezy knocks, is idolised by many youngsters.
He revealed that he works hard on his fitness like Virat Kohli. “The way Virat Kohli is performing is something exceptional,” he said. “Every time he walks out he seems to be scoring hundreds for fun.”
When asked about his approach towards his batting, Iqbal said: “I like to play out the first 10 to 20 balls and then take on from there. One thing I always try to do is if I am set then I take the responsibility. I have played international cricket for 10 to 12 years and it is my responsibility to make sure that the team performs well too.”