Bangladesh’s captain, Tamim Iqbal, sent shockwaves through the cricketing world on Thursday as he announced his unexpected retirement from international cricket. This surprising decision came hot on the heels of Bangladesh’s defeat against Afghanistan in the first One Day International (ODI) of their three-match series.
The outcome of the match had a significant detrimental effect on the team, particularly in light of their extensive preparations for the highly anticipated 2023 ODI World Cup.
Revealing the news in a press conference, a teary-eyed Tamim said, “This is the end for me. I have given my best. I have tried my best. I am retiring from international cricket from this moment. Yesterday against Afghanistan was my last international game. I am retiring from international cricket effective right now. It was not a sudden decision. I was thinking about the different reasons. I don’t want to mention here. I have spoken to my family members about it. I thought this is the right time for me to retire from international cricket.”
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However, it appears that the 34-year-old cricketer has had a change of heart regarding his retirement. The BCB (Bangladesh Cricket Board) has confirmed that he has reversed his decision after receiving intervention from Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina. It is reported that he met with her on Friday afternoon after being invited for a meeting.
During the meeting, he was accompanied by his wife, former captain Mashrafe Mortaza, and BCB president Nazmul Hassan. Before returning for the Asia Cup, which is set to commence on August 31, he will take a break of one and a half months.
“Today afternoon (Friday), the Prime Minister invited me to her house. She admonished me and asked me to play again, so I have decided to come out of retirement at this moment,” Tamim was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
“I can say no to everyone but it was impossible for me to say no to someone of the PM’s authority. (Bangladesh Cricket Board president) Papon (Nazmul Hasan) bhai, Mashrafe (Mortaza) bhai were big, big factors too. Mashrafe bhai called me here and Papon bhai was also with here.
“Prime Minister also gave me one-and-a-half months break for my treatment and other things. After becoming mentally free, I will play the rest of the matches.”
Tamim’s initial retirement decision included stepping down from ODIs (One Day Internationals) and Tests, following his announcement to quit T20Is (Twenty20 Internationals) in June 2022. In ODIs, he holds the record for the most successful runs for Bangladesh, with 8313 runs from 241 matches, averaging 36.62. This includes an impressive 14 centuries and 56 fifties.
As captain, he led the team in 37 ODIs, out of which Bangladesh emerged victorious in 21 matches. His win percentage of 60 is the highest among the 15 captains who have never led the national side, surpassing even the most-capped Mashrafe Mortaza, whose win percentage stands at 58.13.
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