Tamim Iqbal bids farewell to  international cricket

Bangladesh's star cricketer and former captain Tamim Iqbal is retiring from international cricket. 

Tamim announced his decision on Friday, the second time he has decided to retire after initially declaring the same in July 2023, only to retract his decision within 24 hours.

Tamim shared his retirement news on social media, expressing that he has been away from international cricket for some time and has decided to end his career. He revealed that he had been contemplating the decision for a while.

"A major event like the Champions Trophy approaching, I did not want to be a distraction. I had already distanced myself from the Bangladesh Cricket Board's central contract for some time. The decision to retire or continue playing is a personal choice for any athlete or cricketer," he wrote. 

After a meeting with the Prime Minister, Tamim was asked about his potential return by Captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto and the selection committee. However, Tamim had already made up his mind. He thanked everyone for considering him important enough to discuss his return.

Tamim informed the selectors of the Bangladesh Cricket Board about his decision to retire.

Tamim Iqbal made his debut in One Day Internationals (ODIs) and T20 Internationals in 2007, followed by his Test debut in 2008. Over his career, he played 70 Test matches, scoring 5,134 runs; 243 ODIs, scoring 8,357 runs; and 78 T20 Internationals, scoring 1,758 runs.