Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal, who joined a protest organized by former and current cricketers, cricket organizers, and enthusiasts against the government-appointed councillor panel for the upcoming Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) election, has confirmed that he will retire from all forms of cricket if he wins a seat. Tamim, who announced earlier this month that he will contest the polls, made the statement while addressing a press conference at a hotel on Sunday.

“There is no need for me to formally retire,” Tamim told reporters. “Everyone understands that if I am elected to the BCB, I will no longer play cricket. But it is not written anywhere that I cannot play. There is no need to make an official retirement announcement. Since questions have arisen, I want to clarify that if I am elected, I will have no involvement with cricket in this country in terms of playing. However, if there is a charity match elsewhere, I am still free to participate in that,” he added.

The 36-year-old left-hander, Bangladesh’s highest run-scorer in ODIs and one of their most celebrated cricketers, had stepped down from the ODI captaincy before briefly announcing his retirement — only to withdraw it after intervention from the Prime Minister back in 2023. While he has officially retired from international cricket, he continued playing domestic cricket, and Sunday’s announcement makes it clear that he is ready to transition from player to administrator.

Tamim Iqbal played 70 Tests, 243 ODIs, and 78 T20Is over the course of his international career.