Despite being Bangladesh's most prolific scorer in T20Is over the course of the last 12 months, the jury is still out on Tanzid Hasan Tamim as an impactful performer.
Tanzid has 792 runs in 30 innings at a strike-rate of 132.66 and average of 29.3 with eight fifties. However, his performance on losing causes have been significantly better than on winning occasions.
Over this period, he averaged 28.78 at a strike rate of 122.12 in matches Bangladesh won, whereas, in losing causes, he produced a better average, 29.92, and score at a significantly higher strike rate, 145.29.
In fact, since January 2024, nobody has scored more runs in losing causes in T20Is for Bangladesh than Tanzid -- 463 in 20 defeats.
"If I score runs but the team doesn't win, those runs have no value," said Tanzid, who is part of the ongoing training camp for national team batters in Mirpur.
During this period, Tanzid has averaged just shy of 40 while chasing, however, when the target is above 140, his average has slumped down to around 17 at an abysmal strike rate of 70.
Asked if he gets a better understanding of his approach when chasing, he said: "When you have a target in front, it becomes much easier... If I can apply the same approach batting first, I think I can succeed there too," he said.
In the two ICC events he has featured so far, sparks flew but there was more smoke than fire. In the 2023 ODI World, he appeared in all nine matches but scored 145 at an average of 16.11 with a lone fifty against India. In the 2024 T20 World Cup, he averaged just above 10 in seven innings.
Tanzid is well aware of his failings in ICC events and is hopeful that the mantra of low-risk run-scoring will fix his issues.
"Sometimes we take high risks in low-risk situations," he spoke about how the coaches are trying to instill the idea of playing low risk shots in the ongoing skill camp.
"Earlier, you saw that I would get good starts in almost every match but couldn't carry on and play a long innings. I would get out midway. Now I'm working on staying mentally fitter and stronger so I can convert good starts into big scores and maybe even finish games.
"It's a bit better now, but there's still room for improvement. I'm trying step by step," he said.
He is currently working in the skill camp to find the gaps with grounded shots, which could significantly help him convert his starts more as an opener.
The one problem, however, is the lack of stability in the opening pair in T20Is for Bangladesh, with the management mixing and changing it to accommodate four opening options in the top-order.
"Honestly, no one is settled here [in the opening role]. Whoever the team needs in whichever position, he will play there," he said and it is one of the issues the team management must now address to get the best out of the individuals.
