Despite there being no official practice session for the national team at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium yesterday, the media present was anxious to get their hands on the latest update regarding one particular issue, the focal point of which was all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan's availability for the upcoming tour of South Africa.

The all-rounder had missed the Test tour to New Zealand this year with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) granting him leave after having included him in the squad for the Tests. This time the BCB had been more vocal after Shakib's announcement on Sunday that he was not mentally or physically fit to play international cricket. The BCB president had reiterated that seniors needed to decide which formats they wanted to play in without impeding team management's processes regarding building the team for the future. Despite the noise, later in the evening yesterday, the BCB granted Shakib a leave till April 30th from all cricket after the all-rounder sought to skip the upcoming tour of South Africa tour.

The issue of Shakib taking break from important series has been a touchy one for the BCB. ODI captain Tamim Iqbal, who partook in an individual session yesterday, was also not in a mood to become part of the noise around Shakib's availability. Tamim asked the media to refrain from asking anything on the matter but was content to give his views on the upcoming ODI series against South Africa.

Even as he was not talking about the South Africa Tests, the Bangladesh Test side that won a historic first match at Kiwi soil was where Tamim was looking for inspiration ahead of a tough tour. Bangladesh had lost all nine ODIs they have played so far in South Africa and all six Tests till date as well. The record is similar to what was the case in New Zealand before that victory at Mount Maunganui.

"We don't have a great record in South Africa but records can change and a great example is our Test win in New Zealand,'' Tamim told reporters on Wednesday. "We turned things around there after many years. We couldn't win in 30-32 matches in New Zealand but the Test team changed that. I'm hopeful this team will force the same change [in South Africa]. Belief makes a big difference. We will try to do the same in South Africa.

"We know it will be difficult since they are a very, very good team in their own conditions. Ten years ago, I would have said that we want to play good cricket. Now I will say that we want to win there, and we will do what we have to do to win. If we get the result, very good. If we don't, we will work harder.

Tamim was looking for players from that Mount Maunganui victory to lead the way in terms of how to go about things in tough away conditions. "I wasn't with the team in New Zealand, unfortunately. I want those who were in that squad, to speak about it. Many of them are in the ODI squad, so they can talk about their thought process, and what they were thinking at the time to turn things around," added Tamim.

The ODI series win against Afghanistan did not find batters to be consistent and in a great vein of form but the fielding problems remained persistent. Tamim said, "We didn't bat well as a unit. I didn't score runs. Shakib didn't find runs as well. But that's fine. Not worried about batting but fielding is one thing we have to improve."

Tamim himself has been keen to work on his footwork with batting coach Jamie Siddons during the Afghan ODIs.

"He is very honest. If I'm doing something [wrong], he will tell me," he reiterated. The Tigers will depart for South Africa with the ODI side leaving on March 11 on two separate flights while members of the Test side will leave on March 12.