Bangladeshi opener Tamim Iqbal's retirement announcement Thursday came as a shock to all in the cricket arena, and like thousands of others, his now-former teammate Shakib al Hasan has taken to social media to bid him farewell and laud the southpaw's myriad of achievements.
In a Facebook post Friday, the Bangladeshi all-rounder said: “From 2003, we took our first steps together at Under-15 level playing for Bangladesh's national team and shared our dreams and goals together to build a formidable bond and friendship over 20 years.
“We, among many others, sacrificed a lot to take Bangladesh cricket to the next level and your passion and aggression has helped inspire many more.
“We believed and relied on each other's strengths to achieve a common goal - to win for our country.”
Tamim's runs and records spoke for themselves, Shakib said. “...we, as teammates, are immensely proud of everything you have accomplished as a player.”
The ace Bangladesh all-rounder said it was going to be strange not to have Tamim as a teammate anymore, “but your fire will be inside us all when we step into every battle.”
“May you continue to cross boundaries and hit sixes in life and enjoy new moments with your loved ones.”
