Abdur Razzak, a former player and selector for Bangladesh, stated on Wednesday that Shakib Al Hasan, an experienced all-rounder, will have ample opportunity to determine when he wishes to end his international career.
One of the best all-rounders to come out of Bangladesh, Shakib, 37, has struggled recently with form and fitness and didn’t have much of an influence on the first Test against India in Chennai.
“There is a waiting list for his replacement. Undoubtedly, there are some players, but Shakib makes the final decision, Razzak said in an exclusive interview with PTI while watching Legends League Cricket in this location.
“Whenever he feels he (has played) enough, we will welcome him. (But there is) nothing much to say (right now), because a player like him, he was (in the) last 15 years (the) No. 1 all-rounder in the world, so I can’t say that he is not good anymore so we don’t want him,” he said.
“We always want him, but at the same time, you have to leave at some stage. So, we are waiting for Shakib’s decision (and) I am sure he will take the right decision,” Razzak added.
Razzak, who represented Bangladesh in 13 Tests, 153 ODIs, and 34 T20Is between 2004 and 2014, stated that there won’t be any quick fixes to fill the vacuum left by Shakib and batting stalwart Mushfiqur Rahim’s departure.
You can’t always find players like Shakib and Mushfiq. You can’t get them (replaced) as soon as they quit cricket since it took Shakib 20 years to get to his position and Mushfiq a comparable amount of years,” he remarked.
Although it is very difficult to find a player who is similar to them right away, there are several young players who have the potential to succeed. For example, Litton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto are both present, and there are a lot of U-19 boys who are vying for a spot.
“We are also really excited to see them, there are some good and capable players, but it is very difficult instantly to like replace the two,” he stated.
“We need to give some young players a bit more time and hope they will cope up very soon,” he stated.
The selection for Bangladesh also issued a warning against the danger presented by the growth of leagues with shorter formats, which have drawn the interest of his country’s younger population.
“It is happening all over the world, I know it is not a good thing, because if you find some Test players, they need to be calm, but most of the young boys are like really crazy about T20,” he stated.
“Because there is always a T20 game on TV, and most of the games are really competitive and exciting.”
“It is very important (and) we need to work on that, we need to encourage some young players to play with the red ball, and if we can manage to make them play all three formats, that would be a great thing for us,” he stated.
Razzak stated that Bangladesh hoped for a stronger performance in the second Test, which begins in Kanpur on September 27, and would try to make up for the defeat in the first Test against India in Chennai.
“Against India, we didn’t play all that well. However, as I see it, India is currently the best Test squad in the world. They are strong in the fields, at bat, and bowling,” he remarked.
Speaking about his team’s recent historic victory over Pakistan, Razzak expressed the hope that his group would be able to take some cues from that series.
“(If) we could play a bit more like that, what we have done… we are not looking back, that is past, that is gone, we are looking forward to the next Test match and I would say that (the) Pakistan win will change our cricket, definitely,” he stated.
The Bangladeshi team’s goal, according to Razzak, is to perform well in the two upcoming ICC competitions: the Champions Trophy in 2020 and the T20 World Cup in 2026.
“Every squad wants to perform well in the ICC competition. Bangladesh has that idea as well. We are now concentrating on the Champions Trophy in February of next year and the 2026 T20 World Cup,” he stated.
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