Top cricketers ending their careers will let you know that it was a dismissal, or a poor supply, or a dropped catch, that instructed them it was over. For Tamim Iqbal, although, it was no such factor. He led Bangladesh on Wednesday and retired on Thursday, a tearful press convention in a dingy convention room the ultimate act of a 16-year worldwide profession.
The cruel actuality is that Tamim, arguably the perfect batter in Bangladesh’s historical past, doesn’t get to exit on a excessive. No lap of honour with team-mates carrying him on their shoulders. No memento stumps from a farwewell sport. No adoring crowds to see him off. However such have been the circumstances Tamim confronted within the final 24 hours that he needed to deliver ahead his retirement plans, swiftly prepare a press convention, and make the heartbreaking announcement.
Bangladesh are actually with out an ODI captain. The BCB will title a alternative in its personal candy time, whether or not only for this sequence or till the World Cup. The group Tamim led for the final two-and-a-half years, or performed with for 16 years, must transfer on shortly. They’ve to come back from behind within the ODI sequence in opposition to Afghanistan, which resumes on Saturday. Tamim has to maneuver on too, adjusting to life away from cricket, and to the lack of a lifestyle that he cherished to bits. He cherished to bat. He cherished being in cricket grounds, and interacting with folks in cricket.
The press convention from hell
The police whistles from the lodge’s gate signalled that Tamim had arrived for his press convention. At 1:30pm, Tamim entered the third-floor corridor, in a black t-shirt and baseball cap. He sat on the head desk, as reporters, photographers, camerapersons and social media videographer scrambled for a spot.
A number of occasions, the media needed to be requested to relax. It was an uneasy clamour. Should you seemed on the faces on this crowd, you noticed not one of the standard starvation for giant information. Tamim’s arrival signaled that there was no escape from this huge announcement.
When he seemed round for everybody to relax, his eyes appeared bloodshot. It grew to become clear he was about to say that he was retiring from worldwide cricket. It took him solely 13 minutes to announce his retirement.
Tamim took a number of pauses to assemble his breath as he spoke via tears, particularly when he talked about his father’s dream to see him succeed as a cricketer. He hung his head at one level, when he tried to recall his first coach from childhood. Tamim’s announcement got here simply 2km from the ancestral residence the place he grew up, and even nearer to the cricket fields the place he discovered the sport.
This was a location near the place Tamim grew up and discovered the sport, however this was not how anybody would have envisaged his retirement. This was not the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, the place he had led Bangladesh on yesterday. It wasn’t the Shere Bangla Nationwide Stadium in Dhaka, the place he has made huge, glowing runs in opposition to India, Pakistan and England.
There have been darkish clouds over his head within the 24 hours main as much as the announcement on Thursday. He could not have arrived on the choice in a spontaneous method, however a potential trigger has been recognized.
The set off
On the morning of the primary ODI on Wednesday, the Bengali day by day Protidiner Bangladesh revealed an interview with BCB president Nazmul Hassan, who accused Tamim of being unprofessional, a response to the captain’s assertion that he wished to play the primary ODI in opposition to Afghanistan regardless of not being absolutely match. Hassan additionally mentioned head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe was irate with Tamim’s assertion.
“The captain is saying earlier than the primary match of the sequence that he’s not match however he’ll play,” Hassan instructed the newspaper. “He’ll perceive his health by enjoying the match. It isn’t an expert angle. I don’t know why Tamim would say such a factor. I spoke to the coach who will not be used to such behaviour. He’s upset. Tamim has to inform us clearly what he needs to do. I’ll go to Chattogram to look at the match.
“I misplaced my mood at Tamim’s assertion. Hathu shouted at me for half an hour on the telephone. Did he assume it’s a road cricket match? He’s saying he’ll test his health by enjoying the match. Both you might be match, otherwise you’re not match. The docs can’t discover something. The coach instructed me what he mentioned [in the media]. Tamim has to determine what he needs to do. He’s at all times not sure if he needs to play or not. He did it within the earlier match too.”
This sort of public assertion from a board chief can be hurtful to any worldwide cricketer. They don’t seem to be the phrases a top-level cricketer needs to eat a couple of hours earlier than a high-profile contest. That is, nevertheless, an period in Bangladesh cricket the place the board president makes each drawing-room opinion public, whether or not it pertains to the senior group’s long-term plans or the connection between two huge stars. The whole lot and everyone seems to be sport.
Tamim is aware of this all too effectively. He is among the senior-most figures in Bangladesh cricket. He was ODI captain till Wednesday. Tamim didn’t say Hassan’s assertion was the ultimate nail within the coffin, nevertheless it’s an informed guess that it didn’t go down effectively with Tamim. Anybody with a little bit of self-respect would have discovered it exhausting to swallow a lot public vitriol for one thing as routine as an damage concern.
Tamim missed three of Bangladesh’s ODIs and as many Assessments during the last 12 months. Litton Das led Bangladesh to a 2-1 win in opposition to India in an ODI sequence final yr. Tamim additionally missed the two-match Take a look at sequence in opposition to the identical opponents, earlier than he was dominated out of the one-off Take a look at in opposition to Afghanistan final month.
Tamim made only one half-century in his final 11 ODIs, one of many few lean runs in his profession. But it surely hadn’t actually fearful the group, particularly since he had performed so effectively on the captaincy entrance, main Bangladesh into the World Cup with a third-place end within the ODI Tremendous League. He has the perfect win-loss ratio of any Bangladesh ODI captain to guide them not less than 5 occasions, and since he took over the job full-time in March 2020, Bangladesh achieved a greater win-loss ratio in ODIs than India, England or New Zealand. He had constructed a powerful, steady aspect since taking up at first of the Covid-19 pandemic. Forward of the World Cup, all he wanted was a couple of runs below his belt to regain his batting confidence.
Tamim, nevertheless, couldn’t stem the tide of criticism about his batting or the innuendo about his health. A tough trier will at all times really feel tormented when his efforts are being questioned.
The ultimate ambition
Tamim retains a eager eye on statistics, however he had reached a stage in his profession the place he had stopped taking a look at what number of runs he had made throughout the three codecs. He final performed T20Is three years in the past. He engaged in a pleasant battle with Mushfiqur Rahim over who was the No. 1 run-getter for Bangladesh in Assessments and ODIs. They’ve modified locations a couple of occasions. Each relished the competitors.
In any other case, the ultimate agenda for Tamim on the highest degree was a good crack on the World Cup. He felt Bangladesh’s robust exhibiting within the ODI Tremendous League would give them inside confidence and a powerful outlook forward of the World Cup.
As he sobbed via his assertion on Thursday afternoon, Bangladesh’s World Cup planning will need to have been rattled to a excessive diploma. This group has hardly ever had a gentle captain. When Mashrafe Mortaza left the scene in 2020, a risky interval was anticipated. However whereas bother was brewing on the Take a look at and T20I fronts, Tamim saved the ODI aspect ticking over easily. Below him, Bangladesh radiated a way of calm within the format, however these round him weren’t happy with calmness alone. –Cricinfo