After announcing shocking retirement yesterday, Tamim Iqbal comes out of retirement

Tamim Iqbal

Following an emotional announcement of his retirement in Chattogram, Tamim Iqbal has reversed his decision just one day later, thanks to the intervention of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The meeting between Tamim, accompanied by his wife, and Hasina, along with former captain Mashrafe Mortaza and BCB president Nazmul Hassan, took place on Friday afternoon at the Prime Minister’s residence in Dhaka. Although ESPNcricinfo learned about the meeting on Thursday evening, the actual turnaround occurred on Friday afternoon.

It is understood that Mashrafe, who is also a member of parliament, initiated the process by discussing the situation with the prime minister. Prior to this, Tamim had refused to engage in retirement discussions with Hassan. On Thursday afternoon, he publicly announced his retirement through a live TV broadcast, during which he became emotional and broke down multiple times while expressing his decision.

This announcement gained significant attention on both television and social media throughout the day. However, on Friday evening, a different Tamim spoke to the media outside the Prime Minister’s residence, revealing that he had been granted a six-week break to recover from his injuries.

After leading Bangladesh in the first ODI against Afghanistan, Tamim, who announced his retirement the following day, will not participate in the remaining matches of the series. Litton Das has been designated as the captain for the upcoming matches scheduled on July 8 and 11.

“The honourable Prime Minister invited me to her residence this afternoon. We had a long discussion after which she instructed me to return to cricket. I am withdrawing my retirement. I can say no to anyone but it is impossible to say no to the most important person in the country. Mashrafe bhai called me while Papon bhai [Hassan] was here. They were big factors. The Prime Minister has also given me a break of a month and a half. I will complete my treatment and return to playing cricket.” – Tamim Iqbal said.