Bangladesh cricket legend Shakib Al Hasan has announced that the second Test against India could mark his final appearance in Test cricket if the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) does not grant him a farewell match on home soil. (More Cricket News)
The 37-year-old all-rounder announced his retirement from T20Is with immediate effect and expressed his desire to conclude his illustrious career in front of his home crowd in Mirpur.
Shakib has played 129 T20Is and made 2551 runs and 149 wickets. He will continue to play in franchise leagues.
"I have played my last T20 match in 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," revealed Shakib on the eve of the Kanpur Test.
He has played 69 Tests for Bangladesh and has been a cornerstone of his nation's cricket, amassing 4,453 runs and taking 242 wickets across his Test career.
However, on the eve of the second and final Test of the series against India in Kanpur, Shakib revealed that he has asked the BCB for the opportunity to retire in Bangladesh.
"I have expressed my desire to play my last Test in Mirpur to BCB. They agreed with me and are trying to organise everything so that I can go to Bangladesh," Shakib said. "If that won't happen, the match against India in Kanpur would be my last in Test cricket."
The announcement signals the end of an era for Bangladesh cricket. Shakib, often hailed as one of the greatest all-rounders in the modern era, has not only been a consistent performer with both bat and ball but has also inspired a generation of cricketers in Bangladesh.
His leadership on and off the field has been instrumental in elevating Bangladesh as a competitive force in international cricket.
The veteran cricketer has recently been named as an accused in a murder case back in Bangladesh, amidst political unrest that led to the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Shakib has been an active member of parliament under Hasina's Awami League government.
Should the BCB fail to organize the farewell Test, Shakib’s illustrious Test career would conclude in India, far from the passionate home crowd that has followed him since his debut in May 2007.
