Photo: Collected
Bangladesh veteran wicket-keeper, batter Mushfiqur Rahim retired from the ODI format, ending his 19-year-long career. The 37-year-old now will only play Test cricket as he retired from the T20 format earlier after the 2022 T20 World Cup. He holds the Bangladesh record for most consecutive ODIs, having played 92 matches between 2010 and 2016. "I am announcing my retirement from the ODI format as of today," Mushfiqur revealed his decision through a post from his verified Facebook page last night (Wednesday 5).
"Alhamdulillah for everything. While our achievements may have been limited on a global level, one thing is certain: whenever I stepped onto the field for my country, I gave more than 100% with dedication and honesty," he wrote. His decision to walk into the sunset from this format came just a week after the Champions Trophy in which he failed to deliver with the willow. He hasn't scored any half-century in his last 14 innings.
"The last few weeks have been very challenging for me, and I have come to realize that this is my destiny," he wrote. "Allah says in the Quran: "Wa tu'izzu man tasha' wa tu'zhilu man tasha'" - "And He honours whom He wills, and He disgraces whom He wills." (3:26)
May Almighty Allah forgive us and grant righteous Iman to all, he said. "Lastly, I would like to deeply thank my family, friends and my fans for whom I have played cricket for the last 19 years," the post concluded.
Mushfiqur made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in August, 2006 but shot into the limelight during the 2007 World Cup. He was one of Bangladesh's Fab 5 (Fabulous Five) who helped the side make giants in International cricket.
He now retires as the most capped Bangladesh player in the format with 274 matches under his belt, in which he scored 7,795 runs at an average of 36.42 including nine centuries with a career-best of 144.
As a wicketkeeper, he took 243 catches and affected 56 stumping behind the stumps. He is one of only five wicket-keepers to play more than 250 ODIs. He hit seven centuries as a keeper which put him in fourth place as a keeper-batter, only behind Kumar Sangakkara, Adam Gilchrist and MS Dhoni. Mushfiqur is in line to become the first Bangladeshi to reach the 100-Test landmark as he is on 94 matches at this moment.
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