Tamim keen on playing NCL T20

Opener Tamim Iqbal expressed his desire to participate in the upcoming National Cricket League (NCL) T20 tournament, informed selector Hannan Sarkar today.

"If he plays, naturally, he will play for Chattogram Division," Hannan told the reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.

The T20 tournament is set to begin on December 9 following the end of the four-day version of the tournament on December 3.

Hannan, however, said that the left-hander must come through a standard fitness procedure.

"How many matches he will play, and when he will play…these issues we will discuss. Fitness test is a must for everybody. This is a simple procedure. He has to pass the test," he said.

Asked if Tamim will be accorded the leniency that the senior cricketers sometimes get regarding fitness when it comes to participating in domestic tournaments, Hannan said: "It happened [previously] because they were senior cricketers, but Tamim should also come through the [usual] procedure."

Tamim, who has been practising individually in Mirpur for the last few days, last appeared in competitive cricket during last season's Dhaka Premier League (DPL).

The southpaw was also retained by defending champions Fortune Barishal for the upcoming 11th edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).