Imrul Kayes has officially retired from red-ball cricket. Despite being considered a long-term prospect, he represented Bangladesh in Test cricket only 39 times. His career often saw him in and out of the national team, reports the Daily Sun.
Over the years, Imrul has frequently criticised board officials and selectors for inconsistent opportunities.
However, as he bowed out, the left-handed batter chose not to focus on those issues anymore. Instead, he feels that whatever happened was a matter of fate.
On Monday, Imrul wore the whites for the last time at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, where the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) held a farewell ceremony, presenting him with a crest as a token of appreciation.
After the ceremony, he faced the media for the last time as a Test cricketer.
Naturally, the press conference touched upon his regrets and disappointments.
"At this point, I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I believe it was all destined. I won’t claim I was perfect. Perhaps I could have performed better. If I had, I might have gotten more consistent opportunities," Imrul told the reporters on Monday.
"Yes, if the selection process had been more flexible, my career might have turned out differently. I never knew if I’d play the next match or be part of the next series. That made it difficult. But I have no regrets," he added.
Imrul made his Test debut against South Africa in 2008 and last played in the pink-ball Test against India in 2019.
He scored 1,797 runs at an average of 24.28 in 39 Tests, including three centuries and four half-centuries, with a top score of 150.
Imrul’s first-class journey began two years before his Test debut. In 137 first-class matches, he amassed 7,930 runs at an average of 33.74, including 20 centuries and 27 half-centuries. When he started, he never imagined making it this far.
“When I debuted in first-class cricket in 2006, I never thought I’d play so many Tests for Bangladesh. I’m very happy to have played 39 Tests for the country. Whether it's one Test, fifty, or a hundred, representing Bangladesh is what matters the most,” he said.
Although retiring from red-ball cricket, Imrul plans to continue playing white-ball formats, as evidenced by his practice session today.
He said, “I’ve already mentioned I’ll continue playing in BPL, DPL, and T20s in NCL. Since I haven’t retired from ODIs, I’ll aim to perform well in the upcoming Premier Division and enjoy my cricket.”
Imrul’s family resides in Australia, and he plans to settle there after his career.
"I mostly stay in Australia because my family is there. I’m currently playing Premier Division cricket for a local Australian team. I’m also planning to start a coaching academy there. Discussions are ongoing, and I hope to launch it next year,” Imrul concluded.
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