Tamim Iqbal announces retirement from T20Is days after public spat with BCB over comeback

Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal announced his retirement from the T20I format after recently leading the ODI team to victory against West Indies. Bangladesh blanked West Indies 3-0 with Tamim Iqbal winning the player-of-the-series award. Tamim announced his retirement from T20I through his Facebook account.

Tamim Iqbal announces retirement from T20I

Tamim Iqbal took a break from T20I cricket for six months back in January this year. The left-hander last played T20Is way back in March 2020 against Zimbabwe at home after which he has stayed away from the format due to injury and other reasons. He also pulled out from Bangladesh's campaign in the T20 World Cup 2021 in Oman and the UAE. In a short message on Facebook, Tamim Iqbal wrote, "consider me retired from T20 internationals from today. Thanks, everyone."

Tamim Iqbal vs BCB: Bangladesh opener criticises cricket board 

Last month during a private function in Dhaka Tamim Iqbal lashed out Bangladesh Cricket Board for not giving him an opportunity 'to speak about his future in the T20 format. Iqbal in his statement to reporters said, "Nobody gives me a chance to explain my plan regarding my T20s. Either media say it or someone else tells it and lets it move like this because the board does not give me any chance to tell anything,''. He further added  "I play for so long that at least I deserve it, what I feel or think they should hear it from me. But either you [media] give some kind of notion or someone (board) else tells something. And as they say something I don't have anything to say,".

Back then  Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chairman Jalal Yunus' had claimed that they have spoken with the batter over his future plans. Speaking to the media he had said,  "Tamim Iqbal is one of the senior players on our side and he understands his position better than anyone else. You all know we had a meeting with him regarding this. He had told you exclusively about his plan and now what we have to say. After completing the six months, he will officially tell you about his decision and you will know through him about his plan and I can't say anything about it."

Tamim Iqbal T20I career 

Tamim Iqbal T20Is career started way back in September 2017 at the age of 18 years. In 78 T20Is, the 33-year-old cricketer scored 1758 runs at an average of 24.08 and a strike rate of 116.96, including one century and seven half centuries. Iqbal is also the only Bangladesh batsman to score a century in T20Is the feat that he accomplished against Oman in the 2016 T20 World Cup which was played in India. He finishes his career as the third-highest run-scorer for his country in T20Is after current skipper Mahmudullah Riyad and Test skipper Shakib Al Hasan.  Tamim is likely to play in domestic T20 competitions where he is the all-time leading run-scorer in the BPL.