Tamim Iqbal makes U-turn on retirement after Bangladesh Prime Minister's intervention - Reports
Just a day after announcing retirement from international cricket, Tamim Iqbal has reportedly taken a U-turn. He will continue playing international matches for the Bangladesh cricket team.
As per a report by ESPNCricinfo, Iqbal was at the residence of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (July 7) along with his wife, former captain Mashrafe Mortaza and BCB chief Nazmul Hassan. After the Prime Minister's intervention, Iqbal decided to go back on his retirement.
Iqbal stunned the cricket world by announcing sudden retirement from international cricket at a press conference yesterday. He did not disclose the reason behind the decision but mentioned that retiring from the game had been on his mind for a long time and he had been waiting for the right moment.
Tamim Iqbal has withdrawn his retirement after intervention from Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Tamim was in the PM's residence on Friday afternoon with his wife, former captain Mashrafe Mortaza and BCB chief Nazmul Hassan.
It is pertinent to note that on Wednesday, Tamim Iqbal captained the Bangladesh cricket team in the first ODI of their series against Afghanistan. After Bangladesh's defeat against Afghanistan via the D/L method, Iqbal called a special press conference on Thursday, where he emotionally announced his retirement from international cricket.
Tamim Iqbal may captain Bangladesh in their 2nd ODI against Afghanistan tomorrow
Since Iqbal has reportedly taken a U-turn on his decision to retire now, the left-handed batter may return to the field to lead the Bangladesh cricket team in their second ODI against Afghanistan.
After Iqbal's shocking announcement last evening, the Bangladesh Cricket Board named Litton Das as the skipper for the remainder of the series. Rony Talukar was reportedly drafted into the squad as well because of Tamim's absence in the top order.
It will be interesting to see if Tamim Iqbal captains the Bangladesh cricket team tomorrow in the second ODI. The match will begin at 1:30 pm IST (2:00 pm Local Time) at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. Bangladesh will aim to level the series while Afghanistan will look to secure a series win.