No T20I for At Least Next Six Months: Tamim

Tamim Iqbal, Bangladesh's ODI captain, has decided to stay out of the national T20 squad for the next six months but has indicated that he may return if needed ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia in October.

"Recently I have been in discussions with the BCB president [Nazmul Hassan] and Kazi Inam bhai but I have decided not to consider the T20I format and I want to focus on ODI and Test cricket," said Tamim after a practice session with his Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) side Minister Group Dhaka at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram today.

Tamim skipped four T20I series in a row leading up to the T20 World Cup in the UAE last year, and then opted out of the coveted tournament due to a lack of fitness and a desire to give younger players who had played more frequently during that time an opportunity to play with more freedom.

However, the experienced cricketer will continue to lead the ODI side and appear in the Test team during this period.

Despite the fact that Tamim stated that he would return to the T20I side if necessary, the southpaw expressed hope that such a situation would not happen.

"I hope in the six months, those who play do so well that the team would not require me for this format. But if the team does not do well during that period then I will think about it. My decision is purely based on cricketing aspects. There are no scopes for controversy here," Tamim said.

In the next six months, Tamim Iqbal will miss a total of eight T20I series.