Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal breaks down in tears as he announces retirement | WATCH

In a shocking development, Bangladesh's ODI captain Tamim Iqbal announced retirement from international cricket just three months before the highly-anticipated ICC Cricket World Cup. The development took place on Thursday, a day after Bangladesh lost an ODI game to Afghanistan. Tamim confirmed his retirement at a press conference, which was attended by hundreds of media persons. 

3 things you need to know

• Tamim has the most ODI runs (8313) and centuries (14) for Bangladesh
• He is the 3rd highest run-scorer among active players after Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma
• Tamim has captained Bangladesh in 37 ODIs and has won 21 of those

Also Read: Tamim Iqbal Announces Retirement From T20Is Days After Public Spat With BCB Over Comeback

Tamim Iqbal breaks down in tears while announcing retirement

On Thursday, the 34-year-old cricketer tearfully announced his retirement from international cricket. Tamim revealed that the game against Afghanistan on Wednesday was his last international match for Bangladesh. Emphasizing that the decision was not made hastily, he expressed that he had been contemplating it for some time. Tamim had already retired from T20Is around the same period last year, stating his desire to provide young players with opportunities.

A video of Tamim breaking down in tears is doing rounds on various social media platforms. In the video, Tamim could be seen taking deep breath and pausing in the middle of his press conference. The video also shows Tamim wiping down his tears while thanking his friends and family, who helped him in his cricketing journey. 

"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. Yesterday against Afghanistan was my last international game. It was not a sudden decision. 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," Tamim was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. 

"I need to thank a few people, which they deserve. (Pauses, and takes a deep breath). I have always said that I played cricket (long pause, deep breath) to fulfil my father's dream. So I am not sure how much I have made him proud throughout these 16 years of my international career," he added. 

Also Read: Bangladesh ODI Captain Tamim Iqbal Announces Retirement 3 Months Before World Cup

Having embarked on his international career as a teenager, Tamim Iqbal made his ODI debut in February 2007 and showcased his prowess by contributing a match-winning half-century during Bangladesh's historic victory against India in the World Cup held in the West Indies the same year. In the realm of Test cricket, Tamim exhibited his batting skills by amassing an impressive total of 5134 runs, which stands as the second highest for Bangladesh. With an average of 38.89, he notched up ten centuries across 70 Test matches. 

Image: Twitter