Shakib Al Hasan Revokes Retirement Plans, Aims for Farewell Series

Shakib Al Hasan, the former captain of Bangladesh, has retracted his retirement from Test and T20I cricket, expressing a desire to play a farewell series for his fans. After being away from international cricket for over a year, he plans to return to Bangladesh and participate in a full series across all formats before officially retiring. Shakib aims to honor his supporters with this final series, regardless of his performance. His journey back to the national team is filled with hope and gratitude, as he looks to give back to the fans who have stood by him throughout his career.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 8, 2025, 03:05 IST

Shakib Al Hasan's Comeback Announcement

London [UK], December 8: Former captain of the Bangladesh cricket team, Shakib Al Hasan, has decided to retract his retirement from Test and T20I formats, revealing his intention to play for the national team in all three formats, according to reports from ESPNcricinfo.

After a hiatus from international cricket lasting over a year, Shakib had previously announced his retirement from Tests and T20Is last year.

During an appearance on the Beard Before Wicket podcast, hosted by Moeen Ali, Shakib stated, “I am officially not retired from all formats. This is the first time I’ll be revealing that. My plan is to go back to Bangladesh, play one full series of ODI, Test, and T20, and retire.”

He elaborated, “I mean, [I can] retire from all formats in a series. So it can start from T20I, ODI and Test, or Test, ODI, T20I. Either way, I’m fine, but I want to play a whole series and retire. That’s what I want.”

Shakib has not set foot in Bangladesh since May 2024, following the removal of the Awami League government on August 5. Previously a member of parliament for the party, he was implicated in an FIR related to an alleged murder case, although he was outside the country at that time. He has since participated in Test matches in Pakistan and India, with his last international appearance being the second Test against India in Kanpur.

When questioned about his return to Bangladesh, Shakib expressed optimism, stating, “I am hopeful. That’s why I’m playing [T20 leagues]. I think it will happen.”

Shakib Al Hasan emphasized his desire to conclude his career with a home series as a gesture of gratitude to his fans, regardless of his performance, to acknowledge their unwavering support.

“I think when a player says something, they try to stick to their words. They normally don’t change it all of a sudden. It doesn’t matter if I play well or not. I might play a bad series after that, if I want to play. But I don’t need to do that. I think this is enough. It’s just a nicer way to say bye to the fans that they supported me always, give something back to them, playing a home series,” Shakib concluded.