Former Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal announces retirement from international cricket

Tamim Iqbal represented Bangladesh in 391 international cricket matches.

Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal announced his retirement from international cricket on Friday, January 10 for the second time in his career. Tamim has decided to pull the curtains on his 15-year-long career that saw him represent Bangladesh in 391 games across formats.

Notably, this is the second time he has announced his retirement, having previously stepped away in July 2023 before reversing his decision within 24 hours.

Tamim Iqbal made a name for himself during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 for his aggressive strokeplay. He went on to play 70 tests, 243 ODIs, and 78 T20Is for Bangladesh, with his last international appearance coming in an ODI game against New Zealand in Mirpur in September 2023.

Tamim informed the Bangladesh selectors about his decision in Sylhet on Wednesday. The selection panel, led by Gazi Ashraf Hossain, asked him to rejoin the team for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Initially, Tamim said he would stick to his retirement decision, but after requests from some players, including captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, he took an extra day to reconsider.

Tamim Iqbal announces retirement from international cricket

Tamim Iqbal announced his retirement on social media platform Facebook, stating that his chapter in international cricket has come to an end. He added that he did not want to draw attention away from the team before upcoming Champions Trophy.

He wrote, “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.“

The 35-year-old mentioned that captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and the selection committee had asked him to return, but he ultimately chose to follow his heart.

He added, “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.“

Tamim retires as one of the biggest icons of Bangladesh cricket. He scored over 14,000 international runs in his career including 25 centuries, which is the most by any Bangladesh player.

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