In a surprising turn of events, the cricketing world bid farewell to a formidable player as Tamim Iqbal, one of the prominent figures in international cricket, announced his retirement.
Tamim Iqbal is famous for his explosive batting skills and unwavering dedication to the sport. However, his sudden decision stunned the nation and his teammates.
As it has been a sudden decision, we tried to find the reason behind Tamim Iqbal’s retirement.
Behind the Scene
The three-match ODI series between Bangladesh and Afghanistan started on June 5. Tamim Iqbal informed a pre-match press conference that he would play in the first game despite not being fully fit. He tried to know his level of fitness after playing the first game.
His statement in the press made the board president Najmul Hasan Papon stunned. Chandika Hathurusingha, the coach of the Bangladesh Cricket Team, was also surprised by Tamim’s statements. This is because Tamim Iqbal informed the board that he was fit enough to play. He also had a fitness test before the match and successfully passed the test. Tamim also received the green light to play from the Bangladeshi physio.
Considering all these factors, it makes no sense to talk about fitness in front of the media. Chandika Hathurasingha was very unhappy about this. Over the phone, the coach shouted at the president about the fitness issue of Tamim Iqbal.
However, Tamim Iqbal played the first game of the series in the end. But he was able to score only 13 runs. After that, Tamim Iqbal called a press conference yesterday on behalf of him, not as a captain of Bangladesh. “I played my last international game yesterday against Afghanistan. This is the end for me. I am retiring from international cricket from this moment,” Tamim Iqbal declared in the press.
Boad President Wants Tamim Back
After Tamim Iqbal’s sudden decision, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had a board meeting last night. The meeting was almost two hours long, and after the meeting, President Nazmul Hasan Papon talked to the media.
Nazmul Hasan Papon has been trying to reach Tamim Iqbal on the phone. Despite his best efforts, he was unable to contact Tamim since his phone was off. That is why the President called Nafis Iqbal, the brother of Tamim Iqbal and the former player of Bangladesh. Nazmul Hasan also said to Nafis that Tamim is still an important player for Bangladesh. “It is not the right time for Tamim to take retirement,” the President sent a message to Nafis Iqbal.
However, Tamim still remains the captain of Bangladesh as he hasn’t submitted any official letter to the Board. So the board president hopes to get him back.
Nazmul Hasan said, “The reason why we sat today is that suddenly we have seen that Tamim announced in the media that he retired. It was totally unexpected for us because we have had regular communication, and because he was the ODI skipper, even three days back we spoke with him about the squad and even today I have spoken with him.”
The President added, “I am trying to communicate with him since the morning and later tried with Nafis Iqbal, but still could not get hold of him. At that point, I sent a message to Nafis stating that I want him to lead the side in this series, and later we can sit and discuss what can be done.”
However, Nazmul Hasan is still waiting for the response from Tamim Iqbal. He said, “As I have sent a message I have to wait and see if he replies. I am hoping that we can sort out the matter.”
Anyway, vice-captain Liton Kumar Das will lead Bangladesh in the series against Afghanistan if Tamim doesn’t return.
