Mushfiq bids farewell to ODI cricket

Mushfiqur Rahim has announced his retirement from One Day Internationals following a lacklustre performance in the Champions Trophy.

The 37-year-old batsman's decision comes amid ongoing discussions about the future of both him and fellow senior player Mahmudullah Riyad in Bangladesh's World Cup plans.

In recent days, BCB officials have repeatedly faced questions about whether the two veterans would remain part of the team's future strategy. These discussions intensified as Bangladesh struggled in the tournament.

Mushfiqur made his announcement on his official Facebook page at around 11:15 pm on Wednesday. He revealed in his post that the past few weeks had been a difficult time for him. Navigating this challenging phase helped him realise his destiny, prompting his decision to retire from the format.

In his post, Mushfiqur wrote: "Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu. Today, I am announcing my retirement from ODI cricket. Alhamdulillah for everything. Our achievements on the global stage might be modest, but one thing I can say for sure: whenever I stepped onto the field for my country, I always gave more than 100% with honesty and dedication."

He added: "The last few weeks have been extremely challenging for me, and I have come to understand that this is the end of the road. May Allah forgive us all and grant everyone steadfast faith. Finally, I would like to thank my family, friends, and my fans—for whom I have played cricket for the past 19 years. JazakAllah Khair."

Mushfiqur retired from T20 cricket in September 2022, and today he stepped away from ODIs. From now on, the wicketkeeper-batsman will focus solely on Test cricket, though he did not share any specific plans regarding the format in his retirement announcement.  

Mushfiqur's recent form has been underwhelming, with a noticeable dip in performance. He was a shadow of his former self during Bangladesh's dismal Champions Trophy campaign, failing with the bat in both matches. Against India, he was dismissed for a golden duck, returning to the pavilion without scoring. His struggles continued against New Zealand, where he managed only 2 runs, bringing his total to just 2 runs in two games. His manner of dismissal against New Zealand also drew criticism. Mushfiqur's last century in ODIs came two years ago, in march 2023, against Ireland.  

Despite his recent struggles, Mushfiqur's ODI career has been impressive, marked by numerous achievements over 19 years. He made his debut against Zimbabwe in Harare in 2006 and went on to play a record 274 ODIs for Bangladesh, the most by any player for the country. The right-handed batsman scored 7,795 runs at an average of 36.42 and a strike rate of 79.70, including 9 centuries and 49 fifties—making him the second-highest run-scorer among Bangladeshi batsmen. He also shares the second spot for most centuries by a Bangladeshi player alongside Shakib Al Hasan, who also has 9 centuries. Tamim Iqbal tops the list with 14 centuries.