'Let me play my game'

"> I HAVEN'T FINISHED YET … Young Bangladesh batsman Mominul Haque may be short in stature, but his unbeaten 126 on the fourth day of the Mirpur Test against New Zealand yesterday dead-lifted the Tigers from a precarious situation to a position of strength. Here the pocket dynamo works the ball on the on-side for his back-to-back hundred. The home side, with a lead of 114 runs, resume the final day today at 269-3 for a final push to enforce a positive result. Photo: Firoz AhmedWhile Mominul Haque's sublime hundred yesterday may have exerted the heaviest weight on the scoreboard, it was a delightfully uncharacteristic innings from Tamim Iqbal that will be the abiding memory of the fourth day's play. The usually aggressive left-hander curtailed all his instincts to score a 218-ball 70 -- his slowest Test 50 -- in accordance with the needs of the team. It set an example for all his teammates as Bangladesh moved close to saving the match and the series against New Zealand.
It was somewhat a bittersweet day for the batsman as his restraint on the pitch transformed into thinly veiled anger when reminded that he failed to end his three-year century drought near the end of his post-day press conference, revealing the pressure the player labours under.
“We were on the back foot when we started the day, so our target was to lose as few wickets and bat as long as possible. We had planned not to go for high-risk shots and bat normally,” said  a purposeful Tamim at the post-day press conference.
His innings was typified by a monk-like serenity, a state that many players call 'the zone'. “Usually when I am on 40-45 I take chances against the spinners and reach the milestone. Today I picked singles; milestones weren't on my mind. I batted for my team,” said Tamim when asked what had set this innings apart.
“At one stage the off-spinner was bowling and there was no deep midwicket; the slog sweep is a favourite shot of mine, but I controlled the urge. In Test cricket it sometimes happens that you won't be able to play your natural game,” said Tamim.
Tamim kept his cards close to his chest when asked about Bangladesh's chances in the Test. “The batsmen we have if we can bat till an hour after lunch then we can say what situation we are in. If we can take a lead of 250 then we can say something. It's too early now. Anything can happen in cricket. We will need only ten balls to take ten wickets.”
The session took a thornier turn when his century drought was broached. “So much has been said about this issue  that eventually it is me who is being harmed. There is a limit to everything, but everyday whenever you meet me I hear 'the century is not happening'. These questions are an added pressure for me so I would request you not to ask me these kinds of questions,” shot back the Chittagonian biffer.
He continued on the attack when it was quite validly pointed out that all his grafting innings resulted in sub-100 scores. “This has gone to an extreme now -- if I play normally you say I am too aggressive and if I play sedately you say I am slow. What's wrong with you guys? Just let me play my game please.
“One day I was thinking 'Thank God [Indian batsman Virender] Sehwag was not born in Bangladesh'. If he was he would have forgotten how to play cricket. Yes, media is part of cricket, but to focus on one thing so much is not,” was his parting shot to the media.
It was obvious that the exciting opener had reserved his artillery for the media. But despite his love-hate relationship with the scribes, the latter will be hoping that this ability to curb the 'natural game' continues and carries the team into a new era of Test maturity, glimpses of which were seen yesterday thanks mainly to Tamim.