The whole cricketing fraternity takes a bow. Bangladesh’s finest and one of the best players to grace the sport has announced his retirement. Shakib Al Hasan has decided to announce his retirement from two formats. Ahead of the India vs Bangladesh 2nd Test, Shakib stated that the upcoming Test match against South Africa in Mirpur will be his last and that he’s already played his final T20I game for Bangladesh in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
No home farewell?
“The Test Match against South Africa at Mirpur will be my last in this format,” Shakib said in the pre-match press-conference in Kanpur. As for now, the date for the South Africa Test aren’t confirmed but they are slated to be played in mid-October. Due to the current civil unrest in Bangladesh, the Proteas aren’t certain whether it’ll be safe. This means that India vs Bangladesh 2nd Test could be Shakib’s last red-ball match for Bangladesh.
However, Shakib isn’t certain that he’ll get a chance to play against Bangladesh. Being a member of the political party Awami League, the all-rounder fears for his safety. He believes that he might enter the country but might not be able to leave. “Being a Bangladeshi citizen, there is no problem in going there from India, but my problem is whether I will be able to get out after reaching there or not. From what I am hearing from my family and friends about the conditions in Bangladesh, I am a little skeptical,” he added.
ICC Champions Trophy—last hurray for Shakib Al Hasan?
Shakib may have announced his retirement for the longest and shortest format, but he hasn’t said anything about 50-over cricket. This indicates that he might play in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Scheduled to be played in February-March next year, Shakib can certainly play one last big event. You can argue that ODIs are his best format, and he might want to end his career on a high in Pakistan in 5 months.
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