In cricket, we are all like a family: Tamim

Bangladesh will be the first team to play a series in Sri Lanka after the unfortunate Easter Sunday bombings that killed 257 people and wounded nearly 500 in April of this year. And Tigers' captain for the tour, Tamim Iqbal ensured that the team have been looked after really well in Sri Lanka as he also mentioned that all the teams need to come forward to help each other to restore normalcy and help get cricket back in a country when this types of incidents happen.

"Firstly I would like to thank Sri Lankan cricket, especially the way they have looked after us till now. I think the security has been fantastic and the facilities they have given to us have been top notch and I really thank for the way they have been looking after us," said the left-hander during a press conference at Taj Samudra hotel in Colombo today.

Tamim also reminded that Sri Lanka were one of the teams that agreed to tour Bangladesh a few years back when many of the other cricket boards did not want to come to Bangladesh due to some ongoing instability in the country at that time.

"After the incident Sri Lanka went through couple of months ago, I thought when we came to know we will be touring Sri Lanka, I think our cricket board, our countrymen and our cricket players -- everybody was looking forward to it. And not very long ago, we were in a similar situation and I think Sri Lanka was the one team who came forward and helped us to regain our cricket back. And I thought in cricket, we are all like a family. So we need to help each other whenever this type of incidents happen."

Bangladesh will be playing a practice match tomorrow against Sri Lanka Board President's XI at P Sara Oval in Colombo before playing first of their three ODIs on July 26.