Hyderabad: Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has announced his retirement from T20 internationals. The 37-year-old will however continue to play T20 games in different leagues around the world.
The all-rounder divulged his decision to move away from the game, in phases, on the eve of the India vs Bangladesh second Test match at Green Park in Kanpur.
Shakib said he hopes to play his team’s home Tests against South Africa next month and call it quits from the longest format of the game too. However, if the situation isn’t conducive for him to play the next series, the ongoing Test match against India will be his last in whites.
The Bangladesh all-rounder said the next year’s ICC Champions Trophy will be his last in ODIs.
After a political unrest in Bangladesh threw the nation in disarray, Shakib was named as an accused in a murder case. A member of Parliament from former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s party, Shakib has been avoiding going back to Bangladesh to steer clear of the legal proceedings that await him.
The case against him is in concern with the death of a garment worker, Mohammed Rubel, who was found dead on August 7. Shakib is accused of the murder.
The all-rounder, in the past, had indicated that he may not travel to Bangladesh after the ongoing Test and T20 series in India.
Speaking to reporters on his retirement, Shakib said: “It has been tough for me. Only Allah knows how I am focused on the game. I don’t even know. I have played my last T20 match in the T20 World Cup. We have discussed this with the selectors. Looking at the 2026 World Cup, this is the right time for me to move out. Hopefully, BCB will find some great players and we will perform well,” he said.
The southpaw said he hopes to play one last time in Bangladesh before completely moving away from the game. “I have expressed my desire to play my last Test in Mirpur to BCB. They agreed with me. They are trying to organise everything so that I can go to Bangladesh. If that won’t happen, the match against India in Kanpur would be my last in Test cricket,” he added.
If Shakib has to play the Test match against South Africa at home, he has indicated that he would need a high security. However, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Faruque Ahmed has said the board cannot provide personal security cover due to the ongoing legal proceedings against him.
“Shakib’s security is not in the board’s hands. The board can’t provide an individual with personal security. He has to make a decision on that. His security has to come from the highest level of the government. BCB is not a security agency like the police or RAB (Rapid Action Battalion). We haven’t spoken to anyone (in the government) about him. Since his case is a sub-judice matter, we can’t really do much about it,” Ahmed told journalists in Bangladesh.
