In a shock development Tamim Iqbal, Bangladesh’s ODI captain, has retired from international cricket three months before the World Cup begins in India, bringing a sudden end to a 16-year career international career.
Surrounded by a throng of reporters, Tamim was extremely emotional and in tears as he made the announcement at a press conference he arranged in Chattogram on Thursday, a day after Bangladesh lost to Afghanistan in the first of three ODIs.
“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 said. “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.
“I want to thank all my team-mates, coaches, BCB officials, my family members, and those who have been with me through my long journey. They kept faith in me. I also want to thank the fans. Your love and faith in me inspired me to give my very best for Bangladesh. I want to ask for your prayers for the next chapter of my life. Please keep me in your prayers.”
The Bangladesh Cricket Board has not named a successor; Shakib Al Hasan leads the team in the T20I format, while Litton Das is the Test captain.
Tamim began his international career as a teenager with his ODI debut in February 2007 and made a match-winning half-century in Bangladesh’s iconic win against India in the World Cup in the West Indies. He finishes with the most ODI runs (8313) and hundreds (14) for his country, and is the third highest run-scorer among current cricketers behind Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
As ODI captain, Tamim has a marginally higher win percentage than Mashrafe Mortaza, who is considered Bangladesh’s greatest leader. Tamim has won 21 out of 37 ODIs as captain, and he led Bangladesh to a third-place finish in the ODI Super League, ensuring their direct qualification for the World Cup in India this October and November. He also captained Bangladesh in one Test match, against New Zealand in 2017.
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