Tamim Iqbal shocks Bangladesh by stepping down as captain and quitting international cricket

The batsman broke down in tears while addressing the media on Thursday (July 6), as he announced the end of his 16-year international career

Sam Morshead | 06/07/2023 at 09:28

Bangladesh's World Cup preparations have taken a hit after Tamim Iqbal announced his retirement from international cricket.

Tamim, 34, captained his country to defeat by Afghanistan in Chattogram - the first of a three-match ODI series - but will step down from the role with immediate effect in a shock development.

The batsman broke down in tears while addressing the media on Thursday (July 6), as he announced the end of his 16-year international career.

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^{Tamim Iqbal breaks down as he addresses the media to announce his international retirement [AFP via Getty Images]}

"This is the end for me. I have given my best. I have tried my best. I am retiring from international cricket from this moment," he said.

While the news comes as a shock to Bangladesh fans, just three months out from the World Cup in India, Tamim insisted he had given his decision due consideration.

"It was not a sudden decision," he said. "I was thinking about the different reasons. I don't want to mention here. I have spoken to my family members about it. I thought this is the right time for me to retire from international cricket.

"I want to thank all my teammates, coaches, BCB officials, my family members, and those who have been with me through my long journey. They kept faith in me. I also want to thank the fans. Your love and faith in me inspired me to give my very best for Bangladesh. I want to ask for your prayers for the next chapter of my life. Please keep me in your prayers."

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^{Tamim made the decision after defeat by Afghanistan [AFP via Getty Images]}

Bangladesh will need to quickly appoint a successor to Tamim, with Shakib Al Hasan - the T20 captain - an obvious choice.

Tamim made his ODI debut in Zimbabwe in 2007, with a T20I bow following the same year. In 2008, he made his first Test appearance, against New Zealand in Dunedin.

He played in 70 Tests in all for his country, making 5,134 runs. In T20s, he retired last year with 1,758 international runs. The ODI format was where Tamim was most impactful. In his 221 matches for the Tigers, he accumulated 8,313 runs with 14 hundreds and 70 scores of 50 or more.