Tamim signs up for Mohammedan

He played for the champions Abahani last time but has decided to switch hands towards their arch-rivals this season in the Dhaka Premier League.

Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal caused a bit of a stir ahead of the start of the country's premier 50-over competition, when he signed up for Mohammedan Sporting Club yesterday.

He however, avoided any controversy and downplayed the switch while speaking to reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur yesterday. “Look, I always say one thing. My uncle used to play for Abahani and my father was a Mohammedan player. So I am happy, no matter which club I play for. I might play for Abahani next year. I might also end up playing for Mohammedan for the next five years. It all depends on the situation,” said Tamim.

“It's all good with Abahani. I have a good understanding with them,” he added.

Mohammedan finished fifth in the six-team Super League stage last season. Tamim, who like the rest of the national players will get to play a maximum of four matches before they leave for England to prepare for the Champions Trophy, hopes he can change Mohammedan's luck by giving his best at the start of the league.

“You can build the best team, but that does not mean that you will win the championship. You need luck on your side. If we give our best and still end up losing, then I am sure everyone will accept our effort, no matter what the result,” said Tamim.

Furthermore, he also added that the presence of the national players in the competition, except for Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman who are occupied because of the Indian Premier League, can further improve the standard of the league. While he admits that it would have been better had the national players played the entire competition, he is also of the opinion that the country's top domestic competition shouldn't depend merely on the 15 national cricketers.

“Ideally it would have been great if the national players could have played all the matches in league, but that's not possible because we have to go to England. However, the fact that the league will continue despite that is a good sign. Bangladesh cricket after all, is bigger than just 15 national cricketers,” said Tamim.

Apart from Tamim, young spinners Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam also signed up for Mohammedan yesterday. While Taijul hopes to make a comeback into the national ODI team through the premier league, Mehedi described the move as a dream come true.

“In the first two seasons I played for Kalabagan Cricket Academy. While we did well in the first, we didn't have a good team in the second. I didn't really get a chance to sniff the championship trophy in the last two seasons. I hope to play for that this season. I have always dreamed of playing for big teams like Mohammedan, Gazi Tank and Abahani,” he said.

On another note, the other national player, Soumya Sarkar was signed up by Prime Bank Cricket Club yesterday.