The veteran Bangladesh opener, Tamim Iqbal on Wednesday announced he will not be able to take part in the upcoming T20 World Cup slated to be played in the UAE this year. Tamim had suffered a knee injury during the Test series against Sri Lanka earlier this year in April and after that, he ended up missing the T20I series against Zimbabwe and Australia.

Through a video message on Facebook, Tamim Iqbal was heard explaining that he has been missing the action for the last 15 to 20 T20 matches and if he now grabs the spot that was will mean that he will have to replace someone else who has been consistently supporting the team in his absence. It is pertinent to note that Tamim Iqbal was the highest run-scorer in the previous edition of the ICC T20 World Cup. 

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In a video posted on his Facebook Account, Tamim Iqbal was heard saying, “I just called board president Papon bhai (Nazmul Hasan) and chief selector Nanno bhai (Minhajul Abedin) few minutes back and I told them that I don’t think I should be playing in the T20 World Cup and I will not be available for it. I have taken that decision and I will stick to it. I am not retiring. It is just that I am not available for this World Cup.”

He further added, “I think game-plan in one of the biggest reasons, because I am not playing this format for a long time and second… (knee) injury, but I don’t think that is a big problem because I feel I will be okay before the World Cup.”

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Tamim Iqbal played his last game against Zimbabwe when he smashed a prolific century to rise from his own ashes. However, post that, injuries have plagued his career in a significant way and he didn’t want to risk his position in the national team in the long run.