Tamim Iqbal has opted out of Bangladesh’s upcoming tour of India as his wife is expecting their second child later this month, and the national selectors have called up Imrul Kayes as his replacement for the three T20Is. It is, however, not clear whether Imrul will stay on with the touring party for the subsequent Test series too.
Tamim, who is also nursing a rib injury, was named in the T20I side, but had informed the BCB that he might have to skip the second Test, in Kolkata from November 22, to be with his wife. He has since decided to be with his wife for the weeks heading up to the delivery date too.
“Tamim had informed us earlier that he would miss the second Test in Kolkata but now he will be with his wife for the coming weeks,” chief selector Minhajul Abedin said.
Tamim missed Bangladesh’s home Test against Afghanistan and the T20I tri-series – with Zimbabwe as the third side – last month, after requesting for a break from all cricket following Bangladesh’s tour of Sri Lanka in July. He returned this month in a first-class match for Chittagong Division in the National Cricket League, before picking up the injury ahead of the second game.
Tamim becomes the second player to miss out on the India tour after Mohammad Saifuddin was ruled out with a back injury. No replacement has been named for the allrounder yet.