Bangladesh star Tamim Iqbal has been roped in by English county outfit Essex for eight games in the ongoing NatWest T20 Blast. The opening batsman will team up with Pakistan left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Amir as the second overseas signing and will be available to play for the side from Sunday’s (July 9) game against Kent.
The left-handed batsman, who enjoys a stellar record in England, had a brilliant Champions Trophy. The 28-year old began the proceedings in England on a brilliant note, scoring 102 in the warm-up tie against Pakistan before scoring a magnificent 128 against England in the tournament-opener.
In the following game, he missed his century by just five runs against Australia before scoring 70 against India in the semifinal to finish the tournament as its third highest run-scorer with 293 runs. Overall, he averages 64 in Tests and 50.71 in ODIs in England.
“Tamim has shown how good a player he is in the recent Champions Trophy competition,” Chris Silverwood, Essex’s head coach, said on Friday (July 7). “As a batsman, he is capable of being destructive and that is reflected in his career strike rate.
“We identified the opening berth as an area we wanted to strengthen and we are thrilled to get a player of Tamim’s calibre into the club. He will bolster the side for eight games and we look forward to his arrival.”
The Bangladesh opener was also excited to sign for Essex and said he was looking forward to playing in England’s premier T20 league.
He said: “I am really looking forward to linking up with my Essex teammates for the upcoming NatWest T20 Blast.
Tamim, who had played five games for Nottinghamshire in 2011, also sounded excited on the prospect of sharing the dressing room with the likes of Ryan ten Doeschate, Ravi Bopara and Ashar Zaidi.
“I have played plenty of cricket with and against the likes of Ravi Bopara, Ryan ten Doeschate and Ashar Zaidi, so I’m sure it will be an environment I will settle into quickly. I always enjoy playing cricket in England and hope to help Essex make a big impact in the competition,” he said.