鈥業鈥檓 sorry for disappointing my fans. I鈥檝e told my son, 鈥淭he day you grow up, you will understand your father.鈥濃�櫶�
These were the last words of a Facebook post, written in Bangla, by which Tamim Iqbal confirmed his retirement from international cricket on Friday night.
The former Bangladesh captain first retired in July 2023 during a series against Afghanistan in Chattogram, only to overturn his decision within 24 hours at the request of then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Tamim last played international cricket for Bangladesh was against New Zealand in September that year.
鈥業鈥檝e been away from international cricket for a long time,鈥� said Tamim in his retirement announcement. 鈥楾hat distance will remain. My chapter in international cricket is over.鈥�
The soon-to-be 36-year-old鈥檚 latest announcement follows a meeting with the national selectors鈥攃urrently led by Gazi Ashraf Hossain鈥攊n Sylhet a few days ago, ahead of the squad announcement for the forthcoming Champions Trophy.
Ashraf said that they asked Tamim to return but hinted that the final announcement should come from Tamim himself, whether he would want to make a comeback or not.
Tamim, in his Facebook post, mentioned that captain Najmul Hossain Shanto also 鈥榮incerely asked鈥� him 鈥榯o make a comeback.鈥� Instead, he listened 鈥榯o his heart.鈥�
So that finally ended Tamim鈥檚 chapter in international cricket for Bangladesh that started in an ODI against Zimbabwe in Harare in 2007.
The left-handed opener made the headlines with a swashbuckling fifty against India at the Port of Spain in the World Cup 2007 during Bangladesh鈥檚 one of the most memorable wins.
The 17-year-old Tamim was fearless against the Indian veterans and was, according to Cricinfo, 鈥楧rove on the up with panache and precision and with poise, balance, and hand speed reminiscent of a young Saeed Anwar.鈥�
Tamim again caught the eye when he scored back-to-back hundreds at Lord鈥檚 and then at Old Trafford during their 2010 tour of England.
Both the innings were in a losing affair, but Tamim showed his ability and characteristics. He brought up a famous 鈥業鈥檓 on the board鈥� celebration after scoring the hundred at Lord鈥檚 to indicate that his name would be inscribed in the honour鈥檚 board of the cricket鈥檚 most prestigious venue.
During his hundred at Lord鈥檚, after playing a pull with one knee above the ground, Nasser Hussain described the shot as 鈥榯he left-handed Gordon Greenidge鈥� in the commentary.
Such was Tamim鈥檚 potential that he could鈥檝e been easily one of the great batsmen of the world.
However, what he became and what he achieved, of course, is not that straightforward. He鈥檚 only one of the 10 openers in ODI history who amassed at least 8,000 runs.
He鈥檚 the highest run-getter for Bangladesh in the 50-over format, only second after Mushfiqur Rahim in Tests with 5134 runs beside his name.
Over the years, Tamim鈥檚 batting has changed and, in a sense, matured. His twin 70s against Australia in Mirpur were among the best innings in Bangladesh history in terms of condition and circumstances.
Tamim also showed a giant heart when he came to bat against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2018, two hours after being told by doctors that his Asia Cup was over because of a fractured left wrist.
In the process, that fearless left-hander often lost his aggressiveness. He was also criticised in the later part of his career for his strike rate, mostly in T20Is, a format from which he eventually retired in 2022.
Tamim鈥檚 absence in the opening slot continued to be felt in the other two formats. As the selectors knocked on his door ahead of the Champions Trophy.
But Tamim has shut the door. It is now apparent that he didn鈥檛 forget what happened with him before the 2023 World Cup, when he was left out of the squad.
鈥榃hat happened before the 2023 World Cup was a big shock for me, as I was not left out of the team for a cricketing reason,鈥� Tamim stated in his retirement post.
鈥楨ven after that, many cricket fans told me that they want to see me in the national colours again. I thought about their love.鈥�
鈥業 also have a fan at home. My son has never told me this directly, but he has repeatedly told his mother that he wants to see his father play in the national jersey again,鈥� Tamim added.
But why didn鈥檛 Tamim fulfill that wish? He left that to his son to realise. What Tamim Iqbal Khan meant to Bangladesh cricket may also remain to be fully appreciated in the days to come.
听
SOME RECORDS OF TAMIM
-听 Tamim was the first Bangladeshi batter to score more than 15,000 runs in international cricket across three formats. He has finished with 15,192 runs, which is the second highest behind Mushfiqur Rahim, who has 15,300 runs.
-听 Tamim is the only Bangladeshi batter to have scored centuries in all three formats of the game.
-听 The opener has struck 25 centuries across three formats: 10 in Tests, 15 in ODIs and one in T20Is.
-听 Tamim is the youngest ODI centurion from Bangladesh, hitting his maiden ODI ton against Ireland in 2008 at the age of 19 years and 2 days.
-听 The 35-year-old is Bangladesh鈥檚 highest run-getter in the ODI format with 8,357 runs.
- Tamim holds the world record for scoring the most number of runs at a single venue in ODIs, having made 2,897 runs at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur in 85 innings.
-听 He also holds another world record alongside Imrul Kayes for the highest opening stand in the third innings of a Test match for the 312-run stand against Pakistan in Khulna back in 2015.
- Tamim is the only Bangladeshi batter to have scored five 50+ innings in a row in Tests. He did it in 2010, making 85 and 52 in the Mirpur Test against England and followed it up with 55, 103 and 108 against the same opponents in England.
- Tamim did the same in ODIs as well, making 64, 70, 59 and 60 during his dream run in the Asia Cup 2012 and later in the year, he scored 58 against West Indies in Khulna to make it five fifties in as many ODIs.
- Tamim led Bangladesh in just one Test, against New Zealand in 2017, in which they lost by nine wickets. But his record as a captain in ODIs is much more impressive with him captaining the side to victory in 21 out of 37 games with a win percentage of 56.75.
