Bangladesh fast bowler Rubel Hossain on Wednesday announced his retirement from international cricket. The 36-year-old walks away as the fifth leading wicket-taker for Bangladesh in the ODI format. The speedster made his announcement through a Facebook post.
"I am pacer Rubel Hossain. I have played 27 Tests, 104 ODIs and 28 T20Is for Bangladesh," he wrote on his social media. "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 thrived the most in ODIs
While Rubel played for quite some time in Tests and T20Is too, the ODIs were where he had most success. Rubel took 129 wickets in 104 ODIs, the fifth most for any Bangladesh bowler until now. He was only behind Shakib Al Hasan (317), Mashrafe Mortaza (269), Abdur Razzak (207) and Mustafizur Rahman (182).
He took seven four-wicket hauls in the format with one fifer. His best figures came against New Zealand when he took a hat-trick in 2013 to tally 6/26 in that game.
Rubel played a key role in Bangladesh's ODI WC win over England. Rubel took a match-winning 4/53 in 9.3 overs in that clash. That was one of the defining moments of his career. His late burst of wickets helped secure a famous victory and a place in the quarterfinals, cementing his legacy in Bangladesh cricket.
Rubel also contributed in Test matches and T20 Internationals, though his impact was more pronounced in ODIs. Despite facing injuries and competition from emerging bowlers, he remained a valuable member of the squad for several years. Known for his resilience and fighting spirit, Rubel Hossain continues to be remembered as one of Bangladesh’s most passionate fast bowlers. Rubel took four wickets on his ODI debut, becoming the first Bangladesh bowler to have done so.
