Tamim, Shakib steal focus on dull day

The fact that Tamim Iqbal, a day before Bangladesh Premier League's new season began, had expressed his willingness to talk to Shakib Al Hasan made yesterday's fixture between Fortune Barishal and Rangpur Riders a highly anticipated one.

 

Hence it was no surprise to see spectators fill the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on a weekend to watch Shakib, Tamim, and several national stars such as Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riyad in action.

However, the quality of cricket expected from a T20 match left a lot to be desired as it became a low-scoring encounter, mirroring the tournament's opening fixture, leaving the fans and journalists channel their entire curiosity to the moment when Tamim and Shakib completed formalities at the end of the match.

The Tamim-led Fortune Barishal emerged victorious with five wickets and as many deliveries in the bank. Based on footages, it appeared the duo restricted their interaction to a mere shake of the hands, after having bumped into the field for the first time following a lengthy absence since the latter half of last year -- triggered with Tamim's retirement-to-unretirement saga before Shakib added fuel to fire during an explosive interview with T Sports ahead of the ODI World Cup in India.

When asked to reveal the nature of his interaction with Shakib during the post-match presser, the winning captain took the minimalist route, saying, "No."

The dashing opener, who picked up five singles while facing seven balls from Shakib during his brisk 24-ball 35, was visibly annoyed when the question was repeated.

"I don't think this question is important. You all know about it. Why do you keep on poking? If you have to ask something then ask him (Shakib)," said Tamim.

Speaking about his resumption to competitive cricket after around three months, Tamim admitted that his nerves began to settle after scoring his first boundary early in the innings.

"It was very challenging since I didn't even train for the past two and half months. I have started practicing for the last two weeks, so I think it was a positive start for me both as a captain and also as a batter," he said.

Shakib, on the other hand, made a comeback after missing the last two ICC World Cup matches due to a finger injury, and it was later known that he experienced vision impairment during the mega event.

Shakib, who was elected as the member of the parliament during this period, will be disappointed with his overall performance on return to the centre stage.

He appeared out of sorts with the bat before being dismissed by pacer Khaled Ahmed after scoring only two runs. Nevertheless, the 36-year-old demonstrated his class with the ball, picking up a couple of wickets and giving only 16 runs in four overs.

Given Shakib's character, the star cricketer will undoubtedly seek to win the next battle when he confronts Tamim.

Meanwhile, rest assured, fans and media will be keen to witness the next episode in the lingering drama involving the two stalwarts of Bangladesh cricket.