"Did I retire from T20Is on my own wish?" - Mushfiqur Rahim opens up on his retirement decision

Veteran Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim recently opened up about his retirement from T20 internationals. Mushfiqur Rahim stated that he holds no regrets, adding that he decided to retire from the format due to personal reasons.

Mushfiqur Rahim announced his retirement from T20Is on September 4, 2022, following a poor Asia Cup 2022 campaign. The right-handed batter failed to make an impact with the bat in the tournament. He made the decision just ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia.

Don’t Have Anything Else To Say – Mushfiqur Rahim

Mushfiqur Rahim expressed that he has no regrets regarding his retirement from T20Is for Bangladesh. Rahim highlighted that his decision was influenced by personal factors.

“No (regrets). You are saying this (my game sense and performance is good) after I played well, no one said that before,” Rahim said.

“I just want to ask one question? Did I retire from T20Is on my own wish? Just look at the month before when I retired in T20s and I don’t have anything else to say,” he added.

Mushfiqur Rahim debuted in T20 internationals against Zimbabwe in November 2006. The veteran batter scored 1500 runs in 102 T20I matches at an average of 19.23 and a strike rate of 115.03. He smashed six half-centuries in his career, with a best score of 72.

Mushfiqur is among Bangladesh’s three players to have participated in more than 100 T20Is, along with Mahmudullah (121 matches) and Shakib Al Hasan (117).

This Concept Is Very Wrong – Mushfiqur Rahim

Mushfiqur Rahim responded to critics and defended the team’s inclusion of players like himself, Tamim Iqbal, and Mahmudullah. He emphasized the misconception that T20 cricket cannot be played with experience, stating that age should not dictate a player’s worth.

“At the start of the tournament everyone said Barisal is a team of old guys and T20 cannot be played with experience. But here we are. This concept is very wrong and experiences have value in every format. It does not motivate me (being criticized for my age) and I feel bad about it. Even today if you bring lot of young players in front of me, I am sure they will not get near me with respect to fitness,” Mushfiqur stated.

“How will you give criterion to fitness whether it is age and performance? I feel it should be fitness and performance considering age is just a number otherwise player’s like Jimmy Anderson would have been rare. I don’t play to prove anything to anyone and those who have picked me, I am thankful to them, like Tamim and owner of Barisal. I want to repay their faith through my performance,” he further added.

Rahim has been in outstanding form in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2024, amassing 367 runs in 14 innings at an average of 33.2 and a strike rate of 123.56. The wicketkeeper-batter stands as the fifth-highest run scorer in the T20 tournament in Bangladesh.

The 36-year-old played a pivotal role in guiding Fortune Barisal to the final of the tournament. He scored an unbeaten 47 off 38 balls against Rangpur Riders in the semi-final.

Also read: Mushfiqur Rahim Issues Legal Notice To Ekattor TV Over “Smell Of Spot-Fixing” Report