'I Am Seeing the End...’ Shakib Al Hasan Opens up on His Test Future
Shakib hasn't played any cricket since the World Cup. (AP)
Bangladesh's stalwart Shakib Al Hasan recently opened up about his cricketing future, emphasising that he does not plan to conclude his international career soon.
Shakib is set to participate in the country's 12th parliamentary elections in January, representing the ruling Awami League from his home district in the Magura-1 constituency, nearly 175 km from Dhaka. For Shakib, cricket will have to take a backseat temporarily.
The veteran cricketer's last appearance in the national colors was in the 2023 World Cup, which proved to be one of his most underwhelming tournaments with the bat, amassing only 186 runs in seven matches at an average of 26.57. This performance was in stark contrast to his stellar performance in the 2019 World Cup, where he scored 606 runs and took 11 wickets. The team led by Shakib was the first to be eliminated from the tournament, facing significant criticism.
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Star, Shakib was questioned about whether entering politics indicates the twilight years of his cricket career. Shakib responded by saying, "No, actually, it's not like I am seeing the end of something. I don't see anything coming to an end."
When asked if he has already played his last ODI World Cup, Shakib expressed uncertainty, stating, "I don't know it myself. Time will tell."
Since the conclusion of the World Cup, Shakib's future with the Bangladesh team has become uncertain. While he has expressed interest in playing white-ball cricket, doubts linger over his Test career.
"The thing that I want to say is that I do not want to ponder about anything else [other than the national polls] before January 7 [the election day]. After that, I will prepare for the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), and when I am playing that, I will be able to think this matter over after discussing with the board about what I can do," Shakib commented on his Test future.
Shakib follows in the footsteps of former star cricketer Mashrafe Mortaza, who was elected as an MP during previous elections. The current president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), Mashrafe Mortaza, has been an MP since 2009. Shafiul Alam Chowdhury, the director of BCB, is also contesting elections.
It remains to be seen when Shakib will make his comeback on the field.
 "Vaibhav Tripathi")
