Former Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal has announced his international retirement for the second time. Tamim conveyed his decision to the Bangladesh selectors in Sylhet on Wednesday. The swashbuckling opener previously announced his retirement in July 2023 in an emotionally motivated press conference which also highlighted brewing tensions between him and Shakib just before the start of the ODI World Cup campaign. The decision was later reversed in a little under 24 hours following the intervention of Bangladesh's then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

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Tamim Iqbal confirms his international retirement on social media

With the Champions Trophy lurking around the corner, the selection committee, led by Gazi Ashraf Hossain advised him to return to Bangladesh's white-ball setup. Tamim wanted to call quits but after a couple of requests from Najmul Shanto and a few other players, Tamim took a little longer to make that decision.

But eventually, he remained resolute and stood firmly by his decision to retire. While announcing his decision to retire from international cricket, Tamim wrote on his Facebook account that he has long been away from international cricket and that distance will forever remain between him and cricket.

"I have been away from international cricket for a long time. That distance will remain. My chapter in international cricket is over. 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."

Furthermore, Tamim had also distanced himself from the central contracts for 2024 to keep himself out of Bangladesh's reckoning. However, there were conscious efforts from Shanto and other Bangladeshi players to make him return to the squad. But Tamim listened to his heart and chose not to give in to their requests. 

"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."

Bangladesh's upcoming Champions Trophy schedule

Bangladesh are placed in Group A along with India, New Zealand, and Pakistan. They are slated to kick off their Champions Trophy campaign by playing their opening game against India on February 20 in Dubai. Then they will face New Zealand at Rawalpindi on February 24 and later Pakistan at the same venue on February 27. The deadline for announcing the Champions Trophy squads is January 12, and the BCB is still trying to wait till the last minute to see if Tamim wants to play.