'It's going to be strange to not be in the middle with you anymore' - Shakib Al Hasan posts heartfelt note after Tamim Iqbal's retirement

Bangladesh's ODI captain, Tamim Iqbal, shocked the world when he announced his retirement from international cricket on July 6, Thursday. In an emotional press conference, the southpaw brought down curtains on a glorious career.

The fact that Tamim decided to hang up his boots just three months before the ODI World Cup has confused a lot of cricket fans and many feel that it will be difficult for the Asian side to fill the boots of such a big player in such a short time.

Another player who rose to prominence alongside Iqbal is the talismanic all-rounder, Shakib Al Hasan. Both players started their international careers around the same time and took Bangladesh cricket to great heights. During their time together for Bangladesh, the nation's cricket flourished as they became a formidable ODI side, especially at home.

While there have been reports of a rift between the two Bangladesh stalwarts, Shakib's heartwarming Facebook post after Tamim's retirement suggests that it might not be true after all. The star all-rounder reminisced about his playing days alongside Tamim, and how they took their country's cricket to the next level.

"From 2003, we took our first steps together at Under 15 level playing for Bangladesh's national team and shared our dreams and goals together to build a formidable bond and friendship over 20 years," Shakib wrote.

"We, among many others, sacrificed a lot to take Bangladesh cricket to the next level and your passion and aggression has helped inspire many more.

The 36-year-old hailed Tamim for his records while playing for Bangladesh and also mentioned how the team is proud of his performances.

"We believed and relied on each other's strengths to achieve a common goal - to win for our country.

"Your runs and records speak for themselves and we, as team mates, are immensely proud of everything you have accomplished as a player," Shakib added.

It's going to be strange to not be in the middle with you anymore: Shakib Al Hasan

Shakib Al Hasan mentioned that it would be strange for him to be playing cricket without Iqbal in the team. The Magura-born cricketer wished the fellow left-handed batter all the very best in his future endeavors.

"It's going to be strange to not be in the middle with you anymore...but your fire will be inside us all when we step into every battle.

"May you continue to cross boundaries and hit sixes in life and enjoy new moments with your loved ones," Shakib concluded.

Bangladesh are currently playing against Afghanistan in a three-match ODI series at home. The visitors won the first ODI by 17 runs by the Duckworth Lewis method. In Tamim's absence, Litton Das is expected to lead the side in the next two ODIs.

However, as per reports, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) are looking at Das as a stopgap option as they want the experienced Shakib to lead the side in the ODI World Cup in India in October-November.