- By Himanshu Badola
- Fri, 07 Jul 2023 05:47 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
JE Sports Desk: Tamim Iqbal has decided to withdraw his retirement after a positive communication with Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He met PM Hasina on Friday afternoon after being invited for a meeting.
Tamim was in the Prime Minister's residence with his wife, his former captain Mashrafe Mortaza and BCB president Nazmul Hassan. Tamim briefed the media outside the residence.
Tamim who led the team in the first of three ODIs against Afghanistan made an unexpected decision to say goodbye to the game with months remaining in the upcoming ODI World Cup in India this year.
"It was not a sudden decision. I have been in talks with my family. I always have said I played to fulfill the dream of my father," Tamim said in a teary-eyed press conference.
"I don't have much to say. One thing I will definitely say is, I tried my best. I did try my best. Maybe I was not good enough or good enough. I don't know. But I tried my 100% whenever I was in the field," Tamim said.
Tamim shocked everyone on Thursday, a day after he had captained Bangladesh in the first ODI against Afghanistan.
Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan addressed a midnight press conference and had voiced his hope that the veteran would change his mind.
After Tamim's shocking announcement, BCB had roped in Rony Talukdar in the squad and appointed Litton Das as the new skipper for the remainder of the ODI series against Afghanistan.
Addressing the press conference ahead of the 2nd ODI game, Litton was asked multiple questions regarding Tamim's retirement to which he irritatingly responded that he would leave if more questions will be asked about Tamim.
"Bhai(brother) I came here to talk about tomorrow (the 2nd ODI). If you ask questions regarding Tamim here, then the board president or the coach is more appropriate than me and I think I should leave," Litton told reporters at one point of the press conference, Cricbuzz quoted Litton as saying.