‘I believe we can dream all the way’

 "I have only one dream right now," Bangladesh ODI skipper Tamim Iqbal expressed his ambitions and reflected on the Tigers' achievements and failures in the recently-concluded tour of South Africa during an exclusive interview with The Daily Star's Bishwajit Roy. The excerpts of the interview are as follows:

The Daily Star (DS): Your return to Test cricket after almost a year. Please share the experience with us.

Tamim Iqbal (TI): It feels really good. Test cricket is something that I've always valued very highly. I've always said, whether you score a century or fifty, the attention you get as a batter in this format is second to none. I'm satisfied about resuming Tests again but not satisfied with the way we performed. We could've done much better considering the team we had.

DS: Any noticeable change in the team after such a gap?

TI: One year may sound like a long time but I've probably missed five to six Tests during this period. Speaking of change, I think it's the willingness to win and keep fighting. Of course, it was there in the past as well but after defeating New Zealand at their own backyard earlier this year, the eagerness to win is more than ever.

DS: Why couldn't the team live up to expectations in Tests despite having the momentum in favour after the ODI series?

TI: We are a very settled team in ODIs since we've been doing well for a long time. I've said in the past and I'll say it again that - in Tests, we were still not up to the mark even after the victory in New Zealand, after which the high expectations became problematic. But the reality is, we are still the same team that we were before the New Zealand series. See, the second Test [against South Africa] wasn't our best, but if you look at the first Test, we did compete for four days; the first time we did so against South Africa on their home soil. We can continue to talk about the negatives, however, if we keep performing like this, you can expect results in a couple of years.

DS: What was the primary reason behind the aggressive approach in the second Test?

TI: There's always a team plan and each individual has a plan of their own as well. I'll not give any excuse as we definitely have committed some blunders by choosing the wrong options. When we talk about defending and attacking, one thing we have to consider is the wicket we were playing on. There, the ball was turning a lot, and when you always have five or six fielders around the batter and you keep on defending, one ball will inevitably bounce and end up in their hands. I won't say we had an overtly attacking approach, but we could have reached a balance. No matter what I'll say, the ultimate thing is - we didn't bat well.

DS: Why were we struggling against South African spinners?

TI: I think the way the ball was turning on the wicket in the second Test, batting was extremely difficult. Plus, the fact that we had to bat under lights. We need to identify our errors and prepare ourselves to successfully overcome such situations in future.

DS: Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam's absence. How big was the impact?

TI: After a long wait, we now have a good fast bowling unit for Test cricket where we can play at least three seamers in a match. There were times when we used to play with one pacer, and never really used more than a couple of seamers in overseas conditions. A lot of credit goes to the captain Mominul Haque because this unit has been developing during his tenure. Taskin and Shoriful are one of our main bowlers and their absence was a setback, no doubt, but I'll not say that it was one of the reasons behind our loss since we didn't play well in all the departments.

DS: Is it too early to start envisioning a five-bowler plan?

TI: A captain has a lot of options with five bowlers. Now we have [Mehedi Hasan] Miraz, who has started to bat well in the ODIs and now if he regularly performs in the Tests, the team management and the captain would have the option to make him an extra batter and go for another bowler.

DS: What's your take on the reports of senior cricketers' influence on Mominul's decision-making?

TI: Not only is it untrue but I think such a claim is really hilarious! When I'm the captain, I take suggestions from many. Similarly, whenever Mominul comes to me for a suggestion, I talk to him according to the team's best interests. The coach and the captain have the power to make the final decision. I've a very good working relationship with Mominul since we've been playing international cricket for quite a long time together. Anyway, who is writing what doesn't bother me but I think Mominul could answer this question better than I would.

DS: How would the ODI success impact Bangladesh cricket?

TI: To me, it's one of the biggest achievements in Bangladesh cricket. This series victory will give us the belief that we can win series away from home. However, it's sad that everyone is forgetting about it after our poor showing in Tests.

DS: Can we realistically dream big for the 2023 ODI World Cup?

TI: The way we've been playing this format, I don't see a reason to not dream about it. As a captain, I believe we can dream all the way. I think there are still one or two spots that need fixing. If we can check-mark these spots, I'll be very pleased as a captain.

DS: Your plan regarding T20 cricket?

TI: Everyone, more or less, knows about my stand regarding T20 cricket. I've always been transparent about all my decisions and the board is very clear about my stand as well since I always inform them [BCB] in advance and not at the last moment.

DS: The board often complains about senior players not informing about their absence earlier.

TI: All I have to say is that if a player has plans, it's best for everyone if they inform as early as possible. But there are exceptions when it comes to emergencies, like for instance in Shakib's [Al Hasan] issue during the South Africa series. I'm sure nobody, including Shakib himself, could've predicted that his family members would fall sick.

DS: What is Tamim Iqbal's next dream as a player?

TI: I have no individual desire. The only dream I have right now is to win a trophy for the country.