Rising Star Tanzim Sakib Prepares for Bangladesh’s 2024 Tour of India

Bangladesh‘s young pace bowling all-rounder, Tanzim Sakib, has begun preparations for the upcoming three-match T20 series against India, scheduled as part of Bangladesh’s tour of India in 2024. Tanzim, 21, is not only noted for his cricketing skills but also for his penchant for reading self-improvement books, a rarity among his peers.

“I don’t read fictional books much; I try to read self-improvement books. Now, I am reading a book called ‘Mind Set‘. There’s ‘Mind Set’, and another favorite book of mine is ‘Home of Matches‘ which I have almost finished,” Tanzim shared during an interview following a practice session at the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) academy premises.

Quoting a line from ‘Home of Matches’, Tanzim expressed how certain readings have impacted his personal growth. “Definitely, I have noted a lot of things from the book ‘Home of Matches’. For example, there’s a saying: ‘When you change what you believe, you change what you do,’ and this has helped a lot in my life,” he stated.

Tanzim’s rise to the national team came after he significantly contributed as a replacement for Shoriful Islam, who was injured during the T20 World Cup earlier this year. Unlike some of his contemporaries, such as Shoriful Islam, who transitioned directly from the ICC Under-19 World Cup to the senior team in 2020, Tanzim had to wait for his opportunity.

“Whenever my teammates got a chance in the national team, it never crossed my mind that I also need to be in the national team,” Tanzim remarked. “I thought that whenever I will go to the national team, I have to be completely ready so that they can’t drop me after playing one or two matches. During that time, I was working a lot on myself, improving my skills to go to the national team with my best version.”

Reflecting on his debut performance, where he successfully dismissed Rohit Sharma, a significant figure in Indian cricket, Tanzim maintained a focus on his strengths rather than the opponent. “It was my debut match, and Rohit Sharma was the opponent. To be honest, I didn’t think of that. I was told that I’m new and won’t be ready for Rohit Sharma, but I concentrated on playing to my strengths,” Tanzim recounted.

The young bowler also outlined his tactical approach in T20 cricket, focusing on differences in confronting set batters versus new ones. “If there’s a set batter, we try to give him a single and get him off strike; however, with a new batter, we attack. This strategy helps to create something special,” he said.

Tanzim emphasized the importance of taking early wickets in T20 matches, “Yes, in T20 cricket, if you get the wickets, it’s always a plus point. If you can take two wickets within the first six overs, the opponent will always be under pressure, which is crucial for the bowling team in T20 formats.”