TDS Sports:

Star allrounder Shakib Al Hasan has announced his retirement from Test and T20I cricket. Shakib dropped a bombshell in the pre match press conference for the second Test between India and Bangladesh at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur and said that while he has already played his last T20I game in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, he wishes to end his Test career in Mirpur against South Africa.

The Proteas are due to travel to Bangladesh on October 16 and will play Test matches commencing from October 21 and 29.

However, the all-rounder also expressed concerns about whether he would be able to return safely from Bangladesh after the series. Notably, Shakib, an elected Member of Parliament from Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party, has been named in an FIR along with 147 others in a murder case. With Hasina facing political exile, many instances of her party leaders being assaulted occurred in the country.

Hence, Shakib has now pushed the ball in the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) court to ensure his safe entry and exit from the country in turmoil. However, Shahriar Nafees, in charge of cricket operations at the BCB, was quoted by ESPN Cricinfo saying that Shakib won’t be harassed if he returns to Bangladesh and assured that there should be no qualms regarding his participation in the home Test series against South Africa.

Shakib has been one of the best-ever Test cricketers to come out of Bangladesh, along with being one of the best all-rounders of the game. In 70 Test matches, he has 4,600 runs at an average of 38.33, along with 242 wickets at an average of 31.85 for Bangladesh. He also has a record of being his nation’s youngest Test captain at the age of just 22 years and 115 days. As an all-rounder, he was the first Bangladeshi to score a hundred and take five wickets in the same match, a rare feat that he has achieved twice in his Test career.

Before the advent and dominance of Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the all-rounders ranking, Shakib occupied the top position for a long time. Meanwhile, he also has 149 wickets and 2551 runs in 129 T20Is for his country.

The cricketer revealed his decision to retire from Test cricket after he was enquired about playing the Test match against South Africa at home next month. In response, he said: “Look, as of now, I am available. Given the situation in the country, not everything is in my hands. I have discussed these matters with the BCB and informed them of my plans. I felt that this series and the home series would be my last, especially in Test cricket.”