Shakib Al Hasan, arguably Bangladesh’s greatest cricketer, has started moving away from the game. After debuting back in 2006, Shakib is gradually pulling the curtains down on his career. It was coming! The veteran has had his fair share of troubles, mostly due to issues with his eye. From being an indispensable member of the team, his place in the team came under the scanner.
Although he looked good in patches, he was far from his very best. Shakib knew it. The decline was fast. It was only a matter of time before he himself thought of his position in the national team. On Thursday, September 26, a 37-year-old Shakib eventually took a call on his career. He officially retired from T20Is and is set to retire from Test cricket.
Shakib aspires to play his last Test in Mirpur against South Africa later this year in October. But given the political circumstances in Bangladesh, there are doubts over the Test series. Shakib has also faced controversial circumstances in the students’ protests, which involved charges of murder against him.
If he doesn’t play, the upcoming Kanpur Test against India, starting September 27, will be his last. Nearing 5000 Test runs and 250 wickets, Shakib has made a name for himself as an all-rounder of the highest order, but in the end, all good things come to an end, doesn’t it?
“I have expressed my desire to play my last Test in Mirpur to BCB. I have told this 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,” Shakib said in a press conference.
Shakib Al Hasan accepts himself eventually
Last year, the Magura-born Shakib did not have the best of times in the World Cup on Indian soil. Although the Tigers qualified for the Champions Trophy, they fell way short of qualifying for the semi-final of the 50-over mega event. Later, it was learnt that he played in India with a blurred vision.
In January 2024, he went to London and consulted an ophthalmologist for his eye treatment. Returning, he looked at sea in the first half of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Representing the Rangpur Riders, he wore glasses while batting. Thereafter, he was seen biting the collar of his shirt while playing for Bangla Tigers in the G20 Canada.
In the first Test against India, he had a black strap inside his mouth. BCB chief physician Dr. Debashish Chowdhury said that Shakib tried out various tactics to keep his head in place while batting. Injuries did not make life easy for him. It now remains to be seen until when he continues playing ODIs for the Tigers with his eye issues.
He became a hero after his dream run in the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales, where he scored hundreds and picked up a five-wicket haul. But he was starting to lose his fandom of late, both in his personal and professional careers, and that might have prompted him to pull the plug.
Bangladesh also needed to look forward beyond Shakib and build a team for the future. The team has undergone changes in their setup, with Faruque Ahmed replacing Najmul Hossain Papon as the BCB chief. It goes without saying that the Tigers are all set for their new era with Shakib nearing the end of his career.
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