Bangladesh's most experienced all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan announced that he is retiring from T20 internationals and it is likely that India vs Bangladesh Test in Kanpur will be his last Test. He said this before the second Test between India and Bangladesh.
Shakib Al Hasan To Retire From Tests As Well Very Soon
Shakib was speaking of the desire to retire from Test cricket at Mirpur. However, if that cannot happen, the India match will indeed turn out to be his final Test game.
“I have expressed my desire to play my last Test in Mirpur, if that won't happen, second Test against India would be my last,” Shakib said, as quoted by PTI.
“Bangladesh cricket has given me so much, and I want to give my last in this format at home,” he further said.
Shakib Al Hasan's Career
An interesting case in point has been Shakib Al Hasan, who played his first Test against India all the way back in May 2007 at Chattogram and has since played 70 Tests for Bangladesh. In total, he managed to accumulate some 4,600 runs in his Test career with five centuries and 31 half-centuries, thereby becoming the third-highest run-getter in Test cricket for Bangladesh-an innings record that he is likely to hold while he bows to Test cricket.
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On the bowling side, Shakib is the Bangladesh Test outright leading wicket-taker with 242 wickets to his account. He is the only Bangladeshi bowler to break the 200-wicket barrier in Tests and strengthens his standing as one of the country's top all-rounders.
Prior to this, Shakib had already hinted that he probably played the last of his T20Is during the T20 World Cup, a statement that he confirmed in the recent press conference. He played 129 T20I matches, including 2,551 runs at a strike rate of 121.18. However, it is his bowling that made the difference for the teams since he took 149 wickets in 126 innings: one short of 150 and the best 5/20. His last performance for Bangladesh was in the T20 World Cup in the stage of Super Eights against Afghanistan in June.