Still angered by a one-match suspension which cost him his place in Bermuda’s team for the World Cup clash against India, all-rounder Saleem Mukuddem yesterday announced he was retiring from all international cricket.

The team’s most successful bowler during the World Cup — he captured his team’s first wicket against Sri Lanka and then returned sensational figures of three for 19 off five overs in Sunday’s defeat to Bangladesh — Mukuddem informed coach Gus Logie and The Royal Gazette of his decision to step down by e-mail yesterday morning.

Mukuddem, who will play league cricket this year for Leg Trappers after leaving Western Stars, wrote: “I hereby wish to announce my retirement from international cricket effective now. The handling of a recent off-field event has convinced me that this is the right time for my decision.

“I have lived the dream and have enjoyed most of it valuing the friendships I have made along the way the most. Like most journeys I have reached my destination and I look forward to new challenges.

“I have counted my blessings and now it is time to give thanks. I wish to thank the Bermuda selectors for the faith they showed in me and allowing me to represent Bermuda at the highest stage, the cricket World Cup.

“To my friends and supporters in Bermuda, Cape Town and elsewhere I say a very warm thank you and just know that when times were tough your words of encouragement and support is what kept me going.

“To my family thank you for your unconditional love and support. Your patience and sacrifice is what made this possible and I can never repay this.

“To all my team-mates and coaches, new and old, thank you for the memories and good luck for the future.

“I saved the most important thanks for last. I have to give praise to GOD almighty without whose guidance and mercy I would most definitely not have been able to get this far.

“I am looking forward to spending more time with my family and resuming my professional career.

Yours sincerely Mohammed Saleem Mukuddem”.

Bermuda Cricket Board suspended Mukuddem last week after he reportedly failed to attend a team function.

However, the player has yet to offer his side of the story, although he was known to be hugely upset by the one-match ban, and the BCB have failed to elaborate on the incident.

Speaking after his heroics against Bangladesh, when he returned to Bermuda’s line-up as a replacement for teenage all-rounder Malachi Jones, Mukuddem said he had been motivated by his earlier omission.

“I was extremely fired up today because I felt I needed to prove a point for missing out the last match (against India). I always told people that I wanted to come to the World Cup and leave my mark for the people to remember me by,” Mukuddem said.

“And today I thought I did myself proud, my family proud and also Bermuda proud. And that’s all I could’ve asked of myself.

“This was a shortened game and I figured I’d bowl within myself and there was a lot of passion in there. But I really felt that I had one more chance to leave my mark, and I think I did just that.”

Mukuddem suggested that rain interruptions had hindered his team’s occupation at the crease. Bangladesh won the toss and sent Bermuda to bat in a steady drizzle that periodically halted play.

“It was hard losing the toss and having to bat in those conditions. We never settled down to bat, having to come off the field several times,” Mukuddem said.

“It was always going to be hard and in the end whatever we got we tried to defend it as best we could. And I still believe that Bangladesh never felt secure.

“But it has been a long, hard journey and at the end of the day I think we can all walk away holding our heads high.”

Another senior member of Bermuda’s World Cup squad, Dean Minors, indicated last week that he also would be retiring from international cricket. He’s expected to confirm that decision in a letter to The Royal Gazette later this week.