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Cricket PlayersTamim Iqbal takes shocking U-turn on retirement announcement after intervention from Bangladesh’s Prime Minister
Tamim Iqbal withdrew his decision to retire from international cricket in shocking fashion after a reported intervention from Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina.
Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal shocked fans on Thursday, announcing his retirement from international cricket in stunning fashion. The announcement came after Bangladesh's defeat vs Afghanistan in the first ODI of their three-match series.
The result had a huge negative impact, considering the team's preparations for the upcoming 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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But now it looks like the 34-year-old has taken an u-turn on his decision to retire. According to Dhaka Tribune, the BCB confirmed that he has withdrawn his decision after an intervention from Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He reportedly met her on Friday afternoon after being invited for a meeting.
He was in the PM's residence with his wife, his former captain Mashrafe Mortaza and BCB president Nazmul Hassan. He will also take a one and a half month break before returning for the Asia Cup, scheduled to begin from August 31.
Tamim's earlier decision to retire from ODIs and Tests came after he announced his decision to quit T20Is on June 2022. In ODIs, he is Bangladesh's most succesful with 8313 runs from 241 ODIs at an average of 36.62, including 14 centuries and 56 fifties.
As captain, he led his side in 37 ODIs, out of which Bangladesh won 21. His win percentage of 60 is the highest among all 15 captains who never led the national side, including the most-capped Mashrafe Mortaza, whose win percentage read 58.13.
