Tamim Iqbal Reverses Retirement Decision After Meeting Bangladesh PM
He will return to action after taking a six-week break to recuperate from his injuries
DHAKA – Bangladesh’s Tamim Iqbal has reversed his shock decision to retire from international cricket a day after he said he was quitting.
The 34-year-old batter had said in a tearful press conference on Thursday it was the “right time” to walk away.
He subsequently met with Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka on Friday before announcing the U-turn.
“We had a long discussion after which she instructed me to return to cricket,” Tamim said.
“I can say no to anyone, but it is impossible to say no to the most important person in the country.”
Their meeting took place on Friday afternoon at her residence in Dhaka. Tamim, accompanied by his wife, met Hasina alongside former captain Mashrafe Mortaza and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan.
It is understood that Mashrafe, a member of parliament, started the process around that time when he spoke to the prime minister to possibly intervene in this situation. Tamim had, until then, refused to discuss his retirement with Hassan.
Tamim made the retirement announcement on Thursday afternoon. In a live TV broadcast, he broke down several times while delivering a 13-minute monologue about his decision. It captured the airwaves and social media for the rest of the day.
A different Tamim spoke to the media on Friday evening outside the Prime Minister’s residence. He revealed that he had been given a break of six weeks to recuperate from his injuries.
Bangladesh one-day skipper Tamim’s original announcement came a day after he played in the first ODI of a three-match series against Afghanistan, scoring 13 off 21 balls as Afghanistan claimed a 17-run win.
He came under heavy criticism, led by BCB president Nazmul Hassan, for deciding to play despite admitting he was not 100% fit.
Tamim, who is the only Bangladeshi to have scored centuries in all three formats of the game and had already retired from Twenty20 internationals in 2022, will now be given an opportunity to rest his body and mind.
“Having seen his press conference, I knew that he was being emotional about his decision,” Hassan said.
“We sat with him through the prime minister, and he just told you that he is withdrawing the retirement letter. He is not retired. He has taken a break of six weeks when he will undergo rehab and get ready physically and mentally. He will return to cricket soon.”
Tamim made his international debut in February 2007 and has played in 241 ODIs, scoring 8,313 runs with 14 centuries – both the highest by a Bangladeshi batter.
He also scored 5,134 runs from 70 Tests with 10 hundreds and had spells in England with Nottinghamshire and Essex.
BCB chief Hassan said he knew a solution was around the corner, and was relieved to have been able to sit with Tamim and convince him to reverse his decision. “Having seen his press conference [on Thursday], I knew that he was being emotional about his decision,” Hassan said. “I knew that if we could sit face-to-face, I could find a solution.
“We sat with him through the Prime Minister, and he just told you that he is withdrawing the retirement letter. He is not retired. He has taken a break of six weeks when he will undergo rehab and get ready physically and mentally. He will return to cricket soon.”
Asked if he is relieved, Hassan said: “Of course we are relieved. How can we play without our captain?”
Tamim, who made his retirement announcement a day after leading Bangladesh in the first ODI against Afghanistan, will not feature in the rest of the series. Litton Das has been appointed captain for the remaining matches on July 8 and 11. – Agencies
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