Tamim Iqbal Retired from International Cricket: Bangladesh’s ODI captain, Tamim Iqbal has announced his retirement from international cricket after an illustrious career of 16 years. In an emotional press conference held on Thursday (July 6), Tamim expressed his gratitude and mentioned that he has given his best to the game.
Although Tamim missed the one-off Test against Afghanistan due to a stiff back, he was available for the ODI series. He also played in the opening ODI on Wednesday but has now decided to retire with immediate effect, just three months before India’s ODI World Cup.
In Tamim’s absence, Liton Das, who captained the team during the one-off Test against Afghanistan, is expected to step in as his temporary replacement in the 50-over format. However, it is still uncertain whether Liton Das will lead the team in ODIs as well.
Significantly, Tamim retired from T20 International in 2022 at this time. This time, the 34-year-old Bangladeshi star held a press conference to announce his decision, marking the end of an era. His last appearance was in the Test match against Ireland in April last year.
Tamim Iqbal’s retirement marks the end of an illustrious career, and his contribution to Bangladeshi cricket will always be remembered. As fans bid farewell to the iconic batsman, they will undoubtedly look back at the innumerable memorable moments he provided during his stint in international cricket.
“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,” Tamim first said at the conference.
“Yesterday against Afghanistan was my last international game. 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,” he further added to his statement.
Tamim Iqbal expressed gratitude to his supporters and those who played a vital role in his cricket career. He stated that his chapter in international cricket has ended and requested the media to respect his privacy regarding the reasons behind his decision.
“I need to thank a few people, which they deserve. (Pauses, and takes a deep breath). I have always said that I played cricket (long pause, deep breath) to fulfil my father’s dream. So I am not sure how much I have made him proud throughout these 16 years of my international career.”
“There are a lot of other people that I need to thank. My youngest chacha (uncle), his name is Akbar Khan. I held his hands to go to my first cricket tournament. I thank him and his family. I thank Tapan da, a coach in MA Aziz Stadium, (long pause, sobbing), who was my coach in my childhood,” he added.
“I thank all the players I played with from the U-13, U-15, U-17, U-19s, A team, Premier League, NCL and national team. Especially my national-team colleagues. The cricket board gave me the opportunity to represent the country for so long. I have captained Bangladesh too. I thank them as well.”
“I don’t have much to say. One thing I will definitely say is, I tried my best (sobbing). I did try my best. Maybe I was not good enough or good enough. I don’t know. But I tried my 100% whenever I was in the field,” he concluded.
