Bangladesh’s preparations for the upcoming World Cup in India have been dealt a significant blow as Tamim Iqbal, their prolific one-day opener, will miss the tournament due to a persistent back injury.

Tamim, who initially announced his retirement from international cricket in July but reversed his decision after meeting with the country’s prime minister, had to step down as the team’s 50-overs captain due to his back issues. His absence was notable during the Asia Cup.

Despite making a return for this month’s home series against New Zealand, Tamim experienced discomfort after the first match, which prompted team management to make the difficult decision of leaving him out of the 15-man World Cup squad. All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan will lead the team in his absence.

Tamim Iqbal is Bangladesh’s highest run-scorer in ODIs, amassing an impressive 8,357 runs in 243 one-day matches. His absence will be deeply felt by the team.