It was the 2007 World Cup and if one expected a 17-year Bangladesh batsman to be overcome with the nerves of playing against one of the best side in the world in India, they had another think coming. For Tamim Iqbal, just five games deep into his ODI career, showed the meaning of class and domination against a fine India attack.

Both Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan made their debuts in close proximity. Tamim was the first to enter the ODI format, Shakib coming in just a few months later. Shakib had debuted first in Tests, ahead of Tamim, who debuted in 2008. In friendship, the two of the big and young characters of Bangladesh cricket took the team to new heights. In their split, it is as if a broken mirror now shows the muddy atmosphere of the cricket fraternity.

On Thursday, 6 July, 2023 Tamim Iqbal announced his retirement from international cricket. Having been one of the key players of the Bangladesh cricket team for quite a long time, it came as a shock and fans across the country had all sorts of emotions and reactions to the announcement.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan Papon rued the manner in which former ODI skipper Tamim Iqbal announced his retirement, saying that the spontaneous decision took him aback and that it was unacceptable given the marquee schedules the Tigers have this year.

Veteran coach Nazmul Abedin Fahim lamented the manner in which former Bangladesh ODI skipper Tamim Iqbal hung up his boots when he announced his retirement at a city hotel in Chattogram on Thursday.

Tamim was overcome by the gravity of what he was going to announce, tears rolling from his eyes. When he spoke, he communicated just how difficult a time this was for him.

Bangladesh legend Tamim Iqbal Khan announced his retirement from international cricket today.

Tamim achieved a legendary status during his stellar career, filled with iconic moments, as arguably the best opener the country ever produced.

“I have no individual desire. The only dream I have right now is to win a trophy for the country,” said the prolific left-hander when asked about his next dream as a player.

Bangladesh ODI captain Tamim Iqbal announced his retirement from international cricket today. 

Tamim's press conference will be held at Tower Inn Hotel in Chattogram at 1:30pm. He had personally sent text messages to the journalists late midnight, asking them to be present at the press conference which was initially scheduled for 12pm.

The Bangladesh team management is likely to opt for a similar strategy dependent on their pace options for their ODI opener against Afghanistan at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Tuesday.

The BCB's medical department's ploy with the captain has been to allow him time to recuperate when he feels back pain. It appears that the same idea would be in action as Tamim wants to see how he fares after the first ODI tomorrow. 

"I'm not going to discuss somebody's medical history here but he [Tamim] has trained the last two days and he's good so far. We're closely monitoring his progress as well as how he recovers after training. He is training as usual," the head coach relayed during the press conference.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) yesterday revealed the much-awaited fixtures of the upcoming ODI World Cup in India, set to begin from October 5.

Bangladesh will begin their campaign against Afghanistan on October 7 in in the hill city of Dharamsala. 

Meanwhile, batters Yasir Ali and Rony Talukdar were left out from the previous squad, along with pacer Mrittunjoy Chowdhury who made way for Taskin

The selection of five pacers in the Bangladesh squad was a major talking point ahead of the one-off Test against Afghanistan, slated to begin today at Dhaka. Inevitably, even a day ahead of the match, discussions surrounded the greenish pitch. However, conditions can change pretty fast in Mirpur, but above all else the Tigers were looking for good Test match conditions in order to grow.

Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal will not be featuring in the Tigers' one-off Test against Afghanistan, starting on Wednesday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, owing to a back issue. 

The team management will assess Tamim and Taskin's condition after Tuesday's training for a final call.