PM asks Tamim about his well-being

It has become common knowledge that even though he played a delivery one-handed after coming in at number 11 to allow Bangladesh's innings to continue in Saturday's Asia Cup opener against Sri Lanka, a fractured wrist has effectively ruled Tamim Iqbal out of the rest of the event.

News has been doing the rounds that he will be out for six weeks, but there has not been any official confirmation from anyone within the BCB or team management. After Saturday's match, which Bangladesh won by 137 runs, captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza said that they were not yet sure what would happen and that there would be another scan in two days. He will visit a specialist in Dubai tomorrow, who will decide whether he needs surgery.

"We have to have him checked by a specialist before saying anything official," said team manager Khaled Mahmud. "He is definitely out of the next match, we don't know about the rest. I don't know where the six-week figure came from; I have not heard a doctor say that."

If the dillydallying is to keep the other teams guessing about Bangladesh's most feared batsman, that can hardly be effective given that -- except India -- all the other teams are staying at the same hotel and can see Tamim's left arm in a sling. There seems to be very little sense in the ambiguity.

For both Bangladesh and hosts Sri Lanka, the importance of winning the upcoming three-match ODI series between the sides was made clear during the grand pre-series press conference at the Taj Samudra Hotel in Colombo yesterday. The captains and coaches of the two teams were present alongside the secretary of Sri Lanka Cricket at the event.

A series win would mark a strong comeback for both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, who endured rather disappointing campaigns in the just concluded ICC Cricket World Cup in the United Kingdom. However, from Sri Lanka's point of view, this series bears a special significance as the island nation hopes to overcome the deadly Easter Sunday (April 21) bombings earlier this year which shook the entire nation.

Bangladesh, being the first team to tour Sri Lanka following the attack, is being appreciated deeply by the Sri Lankan cricket board as well as the people of the country.

Tigers' stand-in skipper Tamim Iqbal did well to rouse the Sri Lankan media after arriving in the country.

"Everybody was really positive (to tour Sri Lanka) and looked forward to come here. Not many years ago we were in a pretty similar situation. Sri Lanka was the one team who came to our country and we had a beautiful series that time. We have been looked after really well security wise along with all the facilities and there is nothing aside from cricket that we are thinking about at the moment," Tamim said during his opening speech to much applause from the audience yesterday.

On the other hand, there were some more critical questions for incumbent Sri Lanka head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, who was repeatedly asked whether or not he will quit his job after the series after the Sri Lankan Sports minister publicly stated that they need to change the coaching staff following their World Cup failure.

Bangladesh are without regular skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, who was ruled out in the last moment due to a hamstring injury, while the outstanding performer of the World Cup, Shakib Al Hasan, will also miss out as he had earlier asked for a leave.

According to Tamim however, he does not want to focus on an individual who is not with the team at the moment and rather backed the 14-members present in the side to prove their worth.

"The players who were picked for the team all are capable and I really don't want to talk about someone who is not in the team at the moment. He has done fantastically well for Bangladesh but he is not here with the team so let's not talk about him as I got another 14 players and they all are capable," he said.

Bangladesh will take part in a practice match against the SLC XI today at the P Sara Oval, where according to Tamim, the team management will look to form the best possible combination for the first ODI on July 26.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at Dhaka today on a two-day official visit to take part in the golden jubilee celebration of Bangladesh's independence and Mujib Borsho – birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina welcomed the Indian premier at the VVIP terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at 11:00am this morning.

Red carpet was rolled out to welcome the Indian PM while he was given guard of honour.

Earlier in the morning, Narendra Modi left New Delhi for Dhaka on a special flight.

"PM @narendramodi emplanes for Dhaka. During his Bangladesh visit he will take part in a wide range of programmes aimed at furthering cooperation with our friendly neighbour," the India PMO tweeted, sharing a picture of Modi boarding the aircraft, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

Modi yesterday said he will hold substantive discussions with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina during the visit and expressed happiness that his first foreign tour after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic will be to a friendly neighbouring country with which India shares deep ties.

"The first visit by the PM since pandemic outbreak highlights the priority India attaches to Bangladesh," said the Indian External Affairs Ministry in a tweet.

"Our partnership with Bangladesh is an important pillar of our Neighbourhood First Policy, and we are committed to further deepen and diversify it. We will continue to support Bangladesh's remarkable development journey, under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's dynamic leadership," Modi tweeted last night, ahead of his Dhaka visit.

The Indian PM will pay tribute to the martyrs of the Liberation War at the National Martyrs' Memorial in Savar today, and then visit the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi-32 in the capital to pay homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

In the afternoon, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen will call on the Indian premier at Hotel Sonargaon.

Modi will also deliver a speech at celebrations at the National Parade Square this afternoon.

In the evening, PM Hasina and her Indian counterpart will visit Bapu-Bangabandhu Digital Museum at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.

Tomorrow, Modi will visit Bangabandhu's mausoleum in Gopalganj's Tungipara and visit two temples -- Jashoreshwari Kali Temple in Shyamnagar of Satkhira and the other at Gopalganj's Orakandi, the birthplace of Harichand Thakur, the founder of the Matua community.

In the afternoon, the two premiers will hold a meeting at the Prime Minister's Office, according to the schedule of Narendra Modi's visit.

They will also inaugurate two commemorative stamps, marking the 50 years of diplomatic relationship between Bangladesh and India.

The two prime ministers will also inaugurate projects, including Bapu-Bangabandhu Digital Museum, Swadhinata Sarak- a road connecting India from Mujibnagar in Meherpur, and a passenger train on Chilahati-Haldibari rail route.

Indian PM Modi will hand over 109 ambulances and 12 lakh doses of AstraZeneca vaccine as gifts to Bangladesh.

Modi will also call on President Abdul Hamid at the Bangabhaban before flying back to India tomorrow evening.

Minister Momen said some MoUs will also be signed during the meeting, but he did not disclose the details.