Conversion key for Tamim
There are lots of suggestions and criticism in the air regarding Tamim Iqbal's slow build-up to the innings, and they have only recently been quietened a bit by his two centuries against Zimbabwe. His strike-rate has been a point of contention since the 2019 World Cup in England, where he failed to deliver on the biggest stage. The years leading up to the World Cup have however been some of Tamim's most successful as an ODI opener, and as a world-class batsman, his role was not only vital to reaching big scores but also holding the innings together. The Tigers often crumble at the top when he is not there, for instance the Asia Cup in 2018, and that facet perhaps questions whether the right metrics were being used to judge one of the top batsmen for Bangladesh.
Not scoring at a run-a-ball is frowned upon in modern ODIs and in many an innings, Tamim has looked conservative, just unable to get it away.
One of the issues frequently brought up is the dot-ball percentage that Tamim has had but if one was thinking that Tamim has turned away from his aggressive instincts from back when he started, they will find that it has largely remained the same over the years, in fact, in 2007 he used to play 70.6 percent dot balls and since 2015 it has been a steady rate of 60 percent or lower.
A comparison with another batsman who prefers the kind of role Tamim thrives in would be India's Rohit Sharma, who has gradually opted for consistency instead of flashy starts -- all for the team, and it led to him converting 50s into bigger scores. Sharma gives away about the same number of dot balls as Tamim in the first five overs; 75.1 percent compared to Tamim's 72.9. The dot-ball percentage for the two remains remarkably close over a 50-over knock as well.
If we consider 70 to be an optimum score for a top-order batsman who plays the same role that Tamim plays for Bangladesh in ODIs, his significance is apparent. The 24 times Tamim has crossed 70, Bangladesh have won. There are only six instances of scores of 70 or more where Bangladesh have lost.
Comaparing Anchors:
|
50s |
100s |
Conversion Rate (50s into 100s) |
dot ball percentage |
Tamim Iqbal |
47 |
13 |
21.6 |
60.2 |
Rohit Sharma |
43 |
29 |
40.2 |
53.7 |
Tamim has transformed to a whole new level since the 2015 World Cup and in the last five years, 15 of his knocks, where he scored at least 70, have seen Bangladesh clinch 15 of their 35 wins during that time. Of them, eight were converted into tons; his presence in the middle very much desired.
The key is the conversion rate and when drawing comparisons with Sharma, who converts over 40 percent of his 50s into tons, Tamim has managed to convert only 21.6 percent over his career. If Tamim wants to continue in the same vein, he has to keep converting to justify his approach and as has often been seen, he does make up for the lack of early aggression with carnage later on if he remains at the crease.
After his 158 against Zimbabwe, he said there was no big change in mental approach and only that he found the gaps early and that helped his cause. His tons against Zimbabwe may not have come against the toughest opponents but it was the right approach from the beginning as he was looking to play scoring shots more often and rotate the strike. Most importantly, he went the distance.
With the ODI captaincy now bestowed on him, the responsibility is set to get bigger for Tamim and if he is to provide leadership, it must come from his batting too. It is time to keep converting those scores to ensure a better future for the Tigers under his leadership.
Comments