The best allrounder in the World of Cricket, Shakib Al Hasan retires from T20I cricket on Thursday and also confirmed that he will hang up his Test boots after Bangladesh’s first match against South Africa in Dhaka next month. He has the longest T20 international career so far, with 17 years, 209 days. Shakib is the greatest legend Bangladesh has ever produced in world cricket.
Although he wants to retire in front of a home crowd, it also depends on whether the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) can guarantee him “absolute security” when he returns home for the first time since the fall of the Awami League government. He was a part.
“I have informed the BCB of my desire to end my Test career at Mirpur, and they have agreed in principle. They are also trying to arrange everything, so that I can play my last Test at home feeling safe. “They have assured me. That they will work together with all the authorities and they will inform me of their decision soon so that I can not only play freely but also leave the country safely after the series,” said Shakib, a former member of parliament.
Shakib Al Hasan Retires from T20I Cricket
Amid political unrest in Bangladesh, Shakib was named in a murder case in Dhaka last month against 147 people. However, BCB’s head of cricket operations, Shahriar Nafees, recently said that the country’s interim government has made it clear that Shakib will not be “harassed” once he returns to Bangladesh. However, if things don’t go according to plan, the second Test against India could be his last outing in the white jersey.
Stating that his decision was very deliberate, a rather emotional Shakib said: “It’s the right time to bring in new players. It’s the same approach for T20s. I’m the chief selector and the BCB president and we’ve spoken to everyone. It felt like “moving on and into the next series. It was the right time for new players to rank up.”
However, Shakib will continue to play in the franchise league and is not ruling out a return to the national team. “But for now you can say that I am giving up both formats. If I can perform well in the T20 league and BCB feels that they need me in the team for a certain period, then we can consider. But that’s it for now,” added Shakib.
While admitting that there is “nothing to look forward to” at the moment, Shakib said that with the focus on the 2026 T20 World Cup, the BCB should consider bringing in new talent and help the team grow.
“It was a unanimous decision and I think I played my last match in T20I during the last match of the World Cup earlier this year,” Shakib said, adding that it will be a while before he is available for next year’s Champions Trophy. A decision on his ODI future after the tournament depends on his fitness level.
Shakib is considered the greatest all-rounder with more than 700 wickets and nearly 15,000 runs to his name in international cricket.
Lesser Known Facts About Shakib Al Hasan
- Early Talent in Football: Before committing to cricket, Shakib was passionate about football. He initially played both sports but chose cricket as his professional career due to better opportunities in Bangladesh.
- Prolific Test Record: In a Test match against Zimbabwe in 2014, Shakib became only the third player in the history of cricket to score a century and take ten wickets in the same match, joining the elite club with Ian Botham and Imran Khan.
- Captaincy Record: Shakib is the first cricketer from Bangladesh to captain his team across all formats (Test, ODI, and T20), a feat achieved by very few international players.
- World’s No. 1 All-Rounder: Shakib held the No. 1 spot as the ICC’s top all-rounder in all three formats of the game (Test, ODI, and T20) at various points during his career, which is a rare achievement in cricket.
- Extensive Charity Work: Shakib is deeply involved in philanthropy. His foundation, “Shakib Al Hasan Foundation,” has undertaken numerous initiatives to provide healthcare, education, and aid during natural disasters, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic.
Career Statistics of Shakib Al Hasan
Test Career Statistics
| Stat | Test Statistics |
|---|---|
| Matches | 70 |
| Runs Scored | 4,600 |
| Batting Average | 38.33 |
| Centuries | 5 |
| Half-Centuries | 31 |
| Highest Score | 217 |
| Wickets Taken | 242 |
| Bowling Average | 31.85 |
| Best Bowling Figures | 7/36 |
| Five-Wicket Hauls | 19 |
| Ten-Wicket Hauls | 2 |
ODI Career Statistics
| Stat | ODI Statistics |
|---|---|
| Matches | 247 |
| Runs Scored | 7,570 |
| Batting Average | 37.29 |
| Centuries | 9 |
| Half-Centuries | 56 |
| Highest Score | 134* |
| Wickets Taken | 317 |
| Bowling Average | 29.52 |
| Best Bowling Figures | 5/29 |
| Five-Wicket Hauls | 4 |
T20I Career Statistics
| Stat | T20I Statistics |
|---|---|
| Matches | 129 |
| Runs Scored | 2,551 |
| Batting Average | 23.19 |
| Half-Centuries | 13 |
| Highest Score | 84 |
| Wickets Taken | 149 |
| Bowling Average | 20.91 |
| Best Bowling Figures | 5/20 |
| Five-Wicket Hauls | 2 |
Records of Shakib Al Hasan
- Shakib Al Hasan has the world record of “Most ODI Wickets Taken on a Single Ground. He has 131 ODI wickets at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur, Dhaka.
- Shakib also holds the world record of Most T20I wickets on a single ground. He has 45 wickets at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur, Dhaka.
- He was the only allrounder who held the number 1 spot in all 3 formats (test, odi, t20i) at the same time.
