'Out of the box' play will be key for Fortune Barishal in Bangabandhu T20 Cup, says Tamim
Nov 21, 2020
Dhaka [Bangladesh], November 21 : Ahead of the Bangabandhu T20 Cup, Bangladesh batsman Tamim Iqbal said that Fortune Barishal needs to play 'out of the box' cricket to be successful in the competition as they lack big names in their squad.
Iqbal was picked by the Fortune Barishal. Barishal's squad consists of a lot of young cricketers who lack T20 credentials. The top-order batsman said they didn't have good players in their contingent but hoped some of the youngsters will step up in the tournament.
"There's no doubt we have made some mistakes in the draft but cricket is a game of uncertainty. Maybe we are not counting some of the players in this team but they can all have a great tournament. Those who are not in the limelight may have to end up doing more for this team. In the President's Cup, we ended up talking about a couple of players we didn't think would do well," ESPNcricinfo quoted Iqbal as saying.
"To be successful with this squad, we have to play out of the box, by surprising the opponent. It will be difficult to win by playing normal cricket with set plans, because of the resources we have. I believe that anything can happen if one or two of our players can perform really well," he added.
Iqbal, who recently played in the Pakistan Super League play-offs for the Lahore Qalandars, hinted that he may even have to bat down the order to plug the gaps in the Barishal line-up.
"My performance is going to be very important. If I lead from the front, if you leave aside my captaincy and I just score runs, it will definitely motivate the team. I may have to play different roles in the tournament. As I said, depending on resources, you have to think differently and act according to the situation," Iqbal said.
"I am in good touch. I would like to score some more runs. We may not have played a lot of cricket but many of us have been in regular training over the last six months. It is going to be important to start the tournament well. It will give me confidence," he added.
Fortune Barisal squad: Tamim Iqbal, Afif Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Irfan Sukkur, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Abu Jayed, Tanvir Islam, Sumon Khan, Saif Hassan, Aminul Islam, Mahidul Islam, Parvez Hossain Emon, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Abu Sayem, Sohrawordi Shuvo.
Barishal will take on the tournament favourites Gemcon Khulna in their opening game on November 24.
