Bangladesh cricket stalwart Tamim Iqbal has announced his retirement from international cricket, marking the second time he has stepped away from the game. His first retirement came in an emotional press conference in July 2023, in which he reversed his decision within 24 hours after intervention by then Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Tamim informed Bangladesh selectors of his latest decision in Sylhet on Wednesday. Despite the Gazi Ashraf Hossain-led selection panel urging him to return for the upcoming Champions Trophy, Tamim reiterated his intention to retire. Although some of his teammates, including captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, asked for reconsideration, Tamim took an extra day to reflect but ultimately stood firm on his choice.
“I have been away from international cricket for a long time,” he wrote on Facebook, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
“The distance will be maintained. My period of international cricket is over. I have been thinking about this for a long time. Now that a big event like the Champions Trophy is coming up, I don’t want to be the focus of anyone’s attention. Of course, the team will lose focus. “It could be possible,” he added.
The post said, “Captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto has sincerely requested my return to the team. There have been discussions with the selection committee as well. I am still grateful to them for considering me for the team. However, I have listened to my heart.” .
With the deadline set for January 12 to announce the Champions Trophy squad, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) was prepared to wait until the last minute for Tamim’s decision. His impressive domestic form has made him controversial. Since his retirement from the international stage, he has been active in domestic cricket, leading Barishal to the BPL title in 2024 and winning the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award. He has also been a standout performer in the Dhaka Premier League and has been a consistent performer in the NCL T20 and the ongoing BPL season.
However, Tamim dismissed BCB’s long-held expectations about his response and signaled his withdrawal from international cricket considerations, calling it “unnecessary” as he had already opted out of his 2024 central contract.
“I pulled out of my BCB central contract a long time ago because I didn’t want to return to international cricket,” he wrote.
“Many people said I had put the matter on the back burner. Who is going to discuss a cricketer who is no longer on BCB’s contract list? I stepped down voluntarily over a year ago,” he said.
He added, “After that, unnecessary discussions continued. The decision to retire or continue playing is the right of a cricketer or professional sportsperson. I gave myself time. I feel the time has come.”
Topics mentioned in this article
