Star Bangladesh pacer announces retirement from international cricket

Bangladesh fast bowler Rubel Hossain has announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing an end to a career spanning 159 appearances for his country.

The 36-year-old confirmed the decision in a message shared with his 3.5 million followers on Facebook on Wednesday.

Rubel last featured for Bangladesh in April 2021 during a T20 International against New Zealand national cricket team in Auckland. Since then, recurring injuries have limited his involvement, even in domestic cricket.

He will be fondly remembered for his match-winning performance against England national cricket team during the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup in Adelaide.

In a decisive spell, Rubel dismissed Ian Bell and captain Eoin Morgan in quick succession, before removing Stuart Broad and James Anderson to finish with figures of 4 for 53.

"I am pacer Rubel Hossain. I have played 27 Tests, 104 ODIs and 28 T20Is for Bangladesh," Hossain wrote. 

"The national team is my passion. But at some point, I had to leave international cricket. With that in mind, I said goodbye to international cricket. However, I intend to continue playing domestic cricket. Thank you to my family, friends, media personnel and fans. I believe that you will continue to support me for the rest of my life," he added.

Rubel burst onto the international scene in 2009 after being spotted by then Bangladesh fast-bowling coach Champaka Ramanayake during a nationwide talent hunt. Known for his slingy action and ability to generate pace in excess of 140kph, he quickly made an impact.

He became the first Bangladesh bowler to claim four wickets on ODI debut, taking 4 for 33 against Sri Lanka national cricket team in Mirpur in 2009.

However, he endured a difficult outing against the same opposition shortly after, when Muttiah Muralitharan counter-attacked in the final of a tri-series.

Although Rubel showed promise in Test cricket, including a five-wicket haul against New Zealand national cricket team in Hamilton in 2010, he struggled for consistency in the longest format. He finished with 36 wickets from 27 Tests at an average of 76.77.

It was in One-Day Internationals where he truly excelled, taking 129 wickets at an average of 34.31. At the time of his retirement, he ranks as Bangladesh’s fifth-highest wicket-taker in ODIs, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz closing in on his tally.

His standout performances include seven four-wicket hauls and a remarkable 6 for 26 against New Zealand in 2013, which featured a hat-trick.

Interestingly, Rubel had also taken a hat-trick in a domestic one-day match just a week earlier, though he was initially unaware of the achievement at the time.