Tamim Iqbal ended BPL 2022 with 407 runs, the third highest scorer and highest among the domestic players. With recent batting performances of Bangladesh in T20Is becoming nothing but worrisome, the inclusion of Tamim Iqbal is very much on the cards now.
His stats are excellent and reliable. But the fast-paced games of T20 cricket demand fast-paced runs. So, the batsmen thriving in this area are the only ones who should be considered.
Well, there is nothing to degrade the number of runs he scored. He has been miles above anyone, at least any domestic player, in this regard. But T20 cricket depends on impact. An innings of 25 can have more impact than an innings of 60 if done in the right circumstances with the right pace.
In that spirit, the consideration of a T20 squad should be done on the basis of what impact the batters have in the game. Let’s look at Tamim’s impact.
The analyses and stats given here are for domestic cricketers. Stats of foreign players are not included.
He scored and averaged way more than any other domestic player. While he averaged 58.14, the second highest among domestic players is Mosaddek Hossain with 39.75. He also scored the most 50+ innings in the BPL with five in only nine games.
His main criticism however has been his strike rates in recent years. He struck at a rate of 132.57 this time.
Yet there are five batters who excel here. Three of them played in the top order while Yasir Ali switched between No 4 and 5.
The best thing about Tamim Iqbal was that he batted for long; in most of the games, more than half of the innings.
As a result, we tried to do an analysis here where we categorised his performance in two. One in the powerplay and the other one after the powerplay, because the momentum of the innings usually shifts after the powerplay.
Of his 407 runs, he scored 167 in the powerplay and the rest came after the powerplay. 240 runs after the powerplay phase is quite noticeable, which is a benefit of anchoring the innings.
The catch although once again becomes the strike rate here.
In powerplay, he struck at a rate of 124.62, which increases to 138.72 after the powerplay. His strike rate during powerplays is fragile as it deprives his team to take full advantage of having two men outside the circle and giving a quick start.
His strike rate looks perfect after the powerplay. However, that is due to the century against Sylhet. If we take out that innings, his strike rate after powerplay comes down to 124.46. Quite similar to his strike rate during the powerplay.
This means, with Tamim Iqbal in the team, the team mostly fails to take the power play advantage as well as the set batter advantage. Because even after being set, he does not or cannot accelerate as much as he should.
This impact has been seen in the performances as well. Dhaka won only four games. Dhaka does not have a single innings amongst the top 10 highest scores even after having a performer who looked sensational in the stats meter.
They have only three in the top 20 which happen to be the only three 150+ innings. This is in a BPL which has seen 28 such innings.
It can also be mentioned that Dhaka failed to chase only 148 against Chattogram even after Tamim batted the full innings. His so called anchoring proved fruitless.
To put it simply, Tamim Iqbal is just not the thing Bangladesh should look to move forward in T20Is, even after having a good BPL season.
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