Shakib Al Hasan Reverses Retirement Plans, Aims for All-Format Farewell

Shakib Al Hasan's Comeback Announcement

Shakib Al Hasan, the former captain of Bangladesh, has decided to retract his retirement from Test and T20I cricket, indicating his intention to play for the national team in all formats. This revelation was shared during a podcast episode of Beard Before Wicket featuring Moeen Ali.

After stepping away from international cricket for over a year, Shakib had previously announced his retirement from both Tests and T20Is last year. He 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."

Plans for a Grand Farewell Series

Shakib elaborated on his farewell plans, saying, "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."

Challenges Amid Political Unrest

Since May 2024, Shakib has not returned to Bangladesh due to the political upheaval following the removal of the Awami League government on August 5. Although he was previously a member of parliament for the party, he was implicated in an FIR related to an alleged murder case, despite being out of the country at that time. His last international match was a 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."

A Heartfelt Goodbye to Fans

Shakib emphasized his desire to play a home series as a respectful farewell to his supporters, regardless of his performance. He remarked, "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."