Tamim informed the Bangladesh selectors of his decision in Sylhet on Wednesday. The Gazi Ashraf Hossain-led selection panel asked him to return to the Bangladesh team for the Champions Trophy. Tamim had reportedly told them then that he would stick to his decision to retire, but after a few Bangladesh players, including captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, had requested him to reconsider, he took a day longer.
“I have been away from international cricket for a long time,” he wrote on Facebook. “That distance will remain. My chapter in international cricket is over,” he wrote on his official Facebook page. “I have been thinking about this for a long time. Now that a big event like the Champions Trophy is coming up, I do not want to be the focus of anyone’s attention, which could lead to the team losing their focus. Of course, I did not want this to happen before, too.
“Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto sincerely asked me to return to the team. There were discussions with the selection committee too. I am grateful to them for still considering me in the team. However, I have listened to my own heart.”
