Image Source : Depositphotos
Shakib Wants to Play One Last Series Before Retiring
Shakib Wants to Play One Last Series Before Retiring
Former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan has changed his mind about retiring from Test and T20 cricket. He now wants to play all three formats before officially ending his international career.
In September 2024, just before the second Test against India in Kanpur, Shakib had announced his retirement from T20Is and told the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that he planned to retire from Tests after the home series against South Africa in Mirpur. However, he could not get security clearance to return home and has been living in exile since the fall of the Awami League government. As a Member of Parliament at the time, he had not played international cricket for more than a year.
Shakib has been active in franchise leagues around the world. He said he is playing to stay fit and in shape, hoping to return to Bangladesh and retire in front of his home crowd. Speaking on the Beard Before Wicket podcast, he said, “I am officially not retired from all formats. My plan is to go back, play one full series of ODI, Test, and T20, and then retire. I want to give something back to the fans by playing a home series before saying goodbye.”
He added that players usually stick to their words, but for him, this is about ending his career respectfully. “It doesn’t matter if I play well or not. I think this is enough. It’s just a nicer way to say bye to the fans who always supported me.”
Earlier this year, Bangladesh’s sports adviser Asif Mahmud said Shakib would not be allowed to play for the country after he wished former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on her birthday. This was the first time a government official publicly confirmed his ban. Shakib last played Tests against Pakistan and India in 2024.
He also spoke about being reported for a suspect bowling action during his county stint with Surrey in 2024. Shakib admitted that he bowled with an illegal action “a little bit intentionally” because he was exhausted after bowling more than 70 overs in one match. He said the umpires had the right to report him, and he did not complain.
After failing the first test of his action, Shakib trained for a couple of weeks and was later cleared to bowl again. Surrey helped him with two sessions, and he said the correction felt “so easy” once he worked on it.