Shakib Al Hasan hints at retirement after 2025 ICC Champions Trophy

PTI, Sep 28, 2023, 4:39 PM IST

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan wants to call time on his illustrious international career after the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan.

He has also asserted that while he plans to retire from Tests following the forthcoming ICC Cricket World Cup in India starting next month, he is also likely to quit T20Is after the ICC T20 World Cup next year in West Indies and the United States of America.

Talking to T-Sports, as reported by ESPNCricinfo, Shakib said, ”The 2025 Champions Trophy for ODIs and the 2024 T20 World Cup for T20Is. Tests may be sooner. Maybe (after the World Cup).” ”I will retire all at once, but I will stop playing each format one by one. I will announce my retirement after the 2025 Champions Trophy.” Shakib will be leading Bangladesh during the World Cup, having also captained the side during the Asia Cup earlier this month in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

It was his second stint as the unit’s leader. Under him, the Tigers did make it to the Super 4 of the Asia Cup, but failed to make it to the final.

In the meantime, Shakib has confirmed that his outing in the upcoming World Cup will be his last as the skipper and will be quitting captaincy as a whole.

”Given the current reality, I am captain only till the World Cup. Not a day more.” ”I resigned from the captaincy on the 17th [of September]. The reasons were the same when I didn’t want to captain ahead of the Asia Cup.” ”I don’t think my captaincy is adding value at this stage of my career. I wanted to just bowl my 10 overs, give my best in fielding, and do my batting.” ”The easiest thing to do for me would have been not to take the captaincy. At this age, I didn’t want to take this pressure. I want to smile, enjoy my game, perform for Bangladesh,” he added.

Bangladesh take on Afghanistan in its opening fixture of the World Cup on October 7 in Dharamsala.