Tamim Iqbal Announces International Retirement For The Second Time

Former Bangladesh skipper Tamm Iqbal has announced his international on Thursday. This time around, he has confirmed his retirement. Previously, Tamim announced his retirement back in 2023, only to reverse his decision 24 hours later.

With the ICC giving teams a deadline for announcing their Champions Trophy squads on January 12, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) were waiting on a final decison on Tamim Iqbal. He retired as the top run-getter for Bangladesh in ODIs (8357). He retired as his team's second-highest run-getter in Tests as well (5134).

Tamim informed the Bangladesh selectors of his decision in Sylhet on Wednesday. The Gazi Ashraf Hossain-led selection panel asked him to return to the Bangladesh team for the Champions Trophy. Tamim had already made up his mind on his international retirement, but because Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and a few other players requested him to reconsider his decision, he announced his decision a day later.

"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" he wrote on Facebook.

"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 further added.

Tamim Iqbal Previously Retired In July 2023

Meanwhile, Tamim further said that the BCB was waiting for his confirmation unnecessarily as he had already opted himself out of the central contracts.

His previous international retirement saga became one of the biggest news in international cricket in 2023. In July 2023, he announced his international retirement via a public press conference. This happened after Tamim was not considered for selection in Bangladesh's 2023 ODI World Cup squad.

It was only after a personal request from Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that Tamim changed his decision. The then Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan, slammed Tamim for his antics calling his act "childish".