Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal confirmed his retirement from international cricket on Friday through a social media post.
Tamim’s announcement comes after the Bangladesh selection panel asked him to make himself available for the upcoming Champions Trophy.
“I have been away from international cricket for a long time. That distance will remain. My chapter in 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 do not want to be the focus of anyone’s attention, which could lead to the team losing their focus. Of course, I did not want this to happen before, too,” wrote Tamim on his official Facebook page.
“Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto sincerely asked me to return to the team. There were discussions with the selection committee too. I am grateful to them for still considering me in the team. However, I have listened to my own heart,” he added.
Tamim made his international debut in February 2007, in an ODI against Zimbabwe in Harare. He soon made his mark across formats, establishing himself as one of the most reliable batters in the Bangladesh team.
The left-handed batter is the second-highest run-scorer for Bangladesh in international cricket, only behind Mushfiqur Rahim. Tamim also has the most international hundreds for a Bangladeshi batter across all formats.
Tamim Iqbal in international cricket
Matches Runs Average 100s High Score Tests 70 5134 38.89 10 206 ODIs 243 8357 36.65 14 158 T20Is 78 1758 24.08 1 103*
