Tamim Iqbal's LBW Reprieve — WC 2015

The 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup match between Bangladesh and England at the Adelaide Oval was one of the tournament's most significant upsets. England, as one of cricket's major nations, were expected to win comfortably against Bangladesh and qualify from their pool. Defeat would eliminate them.

Bangladesh had been growing as a cricket nation through the 2000s and early 2010s. With batsmen like Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Mahmudullah, they had genuine match-winning quality. Tamim, as their opening batsman, was capable of anchoring a chase against any bowling attack.

England's team in 2015 was in transition. The 2015 World Cup was played under Eoin Morgan's captaincy as England tried to rebuild after the 2014 series losses. Their bowling attack included James Anderson, Stuart Broad, and Steven Finn, who were capable of taking wickets in Australian conditions but had struggled with consistency throughout the tournament.

England batted first and posted 275/9 from 50 overs — a competitive total that represented a par score at the Adelaide Oval. Their innings was built around Ian Bell and Joe Root, with late hitting from Morgan. Bangladesh's chase of 276 was a significant ask.

England came out to bowl knowing a win was essential. Anderson and Broad were menacing in the Australian conditions, generating movement and bounce. Tamim Iqbal, as Bangladesh's key player, was England's primary target in the opening overs.

Early in Tamim's innings — when he had barely got off the mark — an England bowler struck him on the front pad with a delivery that appeared to be heading for the stumps. The appeal went up, umpire Ian Gould gave it not out. England reviewed immediately.

The DRS review of the LBW appeal against Tamim Iqbal came in the very early stages of Bangladesh's chase. An England bowler hit Tamim on the front pad, and despite the on-field not-out decision by umpire Ian Gould, England used their review.

The review went to Hot Spot — the thermal-imaging edge detection technology — which showed no clear contact between ball and bat. Ball-tracking was also inconclusive in terms of whether the ball was hitting the stumps. The third umpire upheld the on-field not-out decision. England lost their review.

Some England players believed there had been bat-pad contact before the ball hit the pad — if the ball had glanced the inside edge, the LBW would have been irrelevant as the dismissal would have required a caught behind. But Hot Spot showed nothing definitive, and the DRS protocol upheld the not-out.

Tamim went on to score 95 off 108 balls — his highest World Cup score at that point — anchoring Bangladesh's chase with a masterclass innings that combined classical technique with smart accumulation. He put on important partnerships and kept Bangladesh's chase on track throughout.

Bangladesh won by 15 runs, reaching their target with 2.2 overs remaining. The victory knocked England out of the 2015 World Cup at the pool stage — the first time England had been eliminated at the group stage of a World Cup.

“I thought I had him early. But these things happen in cricket — DRS said not out and we had to accept it.”

“Getting a start was everything. Once I was set, I knew I could get us home.”

“Bangladesh deserved this. Tamim's innings was extraordinary. England couldn't find an answer.”

“We need to completely rethink how we play one-day cricket. This result shows we are behind the game.”

England's elimination from the 2015 World Cup at the pool stage was a watershed moment in English one-day cricket. The management and board commissioned a full review of England's ODI approach. The Eoin Morgan era of aggressive, high-scoring ODI cricket was the direct result — England transformed their ODI batting philosophy and won the 2019 World Cup as a consequence.

The Tamim reprieve was a significant discussion point in post-match analysis. England had used their review and lost it — meaning they had no further DRS challenges when they needed them later. The tactical use of DRS reviews was examined alongside the specific decision.

Tamim Iqbal was celebrated in Bangladesh as the hero of one of the country's most famous cricket victories. His 95 was the innings that made the win possible, and the early reprieve he received added a 'what if' dimension to the story.