New Delhi: Bangladesh fast bowler Rubel Hossain has announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 36. The announcement was made via a post on his Facebook account, where he stated, “I am pacer Rubel Hossain. I have played 27 Tests, 104 ODIs, and 28 T20Is for Bangladesh. 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.”
Rubel Hossain, known for his prowess in One Day Internationals (ODIs), is the fifth leading wicket-taker for Bangladesh in this format, having secured 129 wickets in 104 matches. This places him behind only Shakib Al Hasan (317), Mashrafe Mortaza (269), Abdur Razzak (207), and Mustafizur Rahman (182). Notably, Rubel achieved seven four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul, with his best figures being 6/26 against New Zealand in 2013, which included a hat-trick.
He played a crucial role in one of the watershed moments in Bangladesh cricket history during the ODI World Cup match against England, where he claimed 4 wickets for 53 runs. This performance was instrumental in securing a victory that led Bangladesh to the quarterfinals, thus solidifying his legacy in the sport.
In addition to his contributions in ODIs, Rubel also made impacts in Test matches and T20 Internationals. Despite battling injuries and facing fierce competition from emerging bowlers, he remained a significant part of the national team for years. Renowned for his resilience and dedication, Rubel Hossain will be remembered as one of Bangladesh’s most passionate fast bowlers. He made a remarkable debut by taking four wickets, becoming the first Bangladeshi bowler to achieve this feat.
