Shakib Al Hasan Announces Retirement from T20 Cricket, Plans to Exit Test Cricket After South Africa Series

The Bangladesh all-rounder expresses desire to play his final Test match at home in Mirpur.

Kanpur, 26 September: Bangladesh's star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan announced his retirement from T20 International (T20I) cricket on Thursday. He also confirmed that he will retire from Test cricket after the first match against South Africa in Dhaka next month. An emotional Shakib made this announcement during a press conference ahead of the second Test match between India and Bangladesh.

Shakib explained, "It's the right time to bring in new players. The same approach applies to T20Is. I’ve spoken with the chief selector and the BCB president, and we all agreed that now is the right time to move forward and give new players a chance."

Shakib expressed his desire to play his final Test match in front of his home crowd in Mirpur. However, if that plan does not materialize, the upcoming Test against India could mark his last appearance in the format.

"I’ve expressed my wish to play my last Test in Mirpur. If that doesn't happen, then the second Test against India will be my final Test," Shakib said.

He added, "Bangladesh cricket has given me so much, and I want to bid farewell to this format at home."

Although he is stepping away from international cricket, Shakib will continue playing in franchise leagues and left open the possibility of returning to the national team if needed.

"For now, you can say I’m moving on from both formats. However, if I perform well in the T20 leagues and the BCB feels they need me for a certain period, we can consider it. But as of now, this is my decision," he clarified.

Shakib's T20I career for Bangladesh spanned 129 matches, where he scored 2,551 runs at a strike rate of 121.18. His bowling contributions were even more significant, as he took 149 wickets in 126 innings, with a best figure of 5/20.

Notably, Shakib made his Test debut against India in May 2007 in Chattogram. Over his Test career, he has played 70 matches, scoring 4,600 runs with five centuries and 31 half-centuries, making him the third-highest run-scorer in Bangladesh's Test history.

On the bowling front, Shakib holds the record as Bangladesh's leading wicket-taker in Test cricket, with 242 wickets to his name. He remains the only Bangladesh bowler to have surpassed the 200-wicket mark in Tests, cementing his legacy as one of the finest all-rounders in Bangladesh's cricket history.