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'A Legend Of Bangladesh Cricket..,' Lasith Malinga Pays Heartwarming Tribute To Tamim Iqbal

image-ljqh6i8tTamim Iqbal [Image- Twitter]

Legendary Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga took to his Twitter account on Thursday to pay his tribute to veteran Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal, who announced his shock retirement from international cricket this morning.

Iqbal, who featured in the 1st ODI between Bangladesh and Afghanistan on Wednesday, shocked one and all when he announced in an impromptu press-conference on Thursday that yesterday's game was his last for Bangladesh.

"This is the end for me. I have given my best. I have tried my best. I am retiring from international cricket from this moment," Tamim said. "Yesterday against Afghanistan was my last international game. It was not a sudden decision. I was thinking about the different reasons. I don't want to mention here. I have spoken to my family members about it. I thought this is the right time for me to retire from international cricket," Tamim said in an emotional statement during the presser.

Since his sudden retirement, social media has been flooded with congratulatory tributes to the most prolific run-getter for his country across formats.

Taking to his Twitter account, Malinga hailed Tamim as a ''gentleman'' and a "legend of Bangladesh cricket", adding that the southpaw can be mighty proud of his achievements during the course of the last 17 years.

"Happy Retirement @TamimOfficial28 A legend of Bangladesh Cricket, most prolific run scorer for them across formats and a gentleman on & off the field.

You can be proud of your contributions to the Bangladesh Cricket and World Cricket.🙌" wrote Malinga.

Having made his debut as a teenager in February 2007, Iqbal shot into limelight after he struck a match-winning half-century in the 2007 World Cup clash against India.

Over the course of the next 17 years, Tamim established himself as the lynchpin of Bangladesh's batting-unit at the top of the order across formats.

In 389 games, the southpaw hammered 15148 runs- the most by a Bangladeshi cricketer - at an average of 35.39 with 94 half-centuries and 24 hundreds.