Shakib Al Hasan assured BCB president Nazmul Hasan Papon that he will be available for the South Africa trip in both ODI and Test formats. Shakib was not selected in the IPL 2022 auction, so he will be free in March and April. The BCB was confident that he would be available throughout the upcoming series. However, Shakib's participation in the next South Africa series has been hit by a huge setback when he refused to confirm his availability for the tour on Monday (March 7).

The dispute between the BCB President and Shakib Al Hasan

BCB president Nazmul Hasan Papon said after the third match of the Afghanistan ODI series that Shakib Al Hasan has agreed to tour South Africa. Therefore, Shakib was included in both the ODI and Test series squads, which were released on Sunday (March 6).

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Shakib Al Hasan departed Dhaka for the UAE the next day, on Monday. He spoke with the press before leaving Bangladesh. Shakib stated to the media that he is in poor mental and physical condition following a disappointing performance during the Afghanistan series. Therefore, playing in such conditions would have a negative impact on a team's performance. Because the ace all-rounder believes he will fall short of expectations and does not want to be a passenger on the squad. Earlier, Shakib told BCB that he would be available for the tour. However, Shakib believes that touring with the Bangladesh national team would be unjust considering his current state of mind.

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Meanwhile, the BCB President became enraged after hearing Shakib's explanation to the media. According to Nazmul Hasan Papon, Shakib Al Hasan would not have stated the same if he had been picked by any side in the IPL 2022. He also warns senior players that if they don't act more professionally, the BCB would take more serious measures against them.

What exactly was Shakib Al Hasan's intention?

There is no denying that finding a successor for Shakib Al Hasan is impossible. He is a one-of-a-kind talent who excels with both the bat and the ball. However, Shakib's performance since returning to international cricket has been subpar, particularly in the batting department. Shakib has only four fifties with no century since 2021.

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Shakib Al Hasan’s all-round stats since January 2021  

   Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/

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Furthermore, Shakib's IPL 2021 statistics was underwhelming, which was one of the main reasons no franchise bid for him at the IPL 2022 auction. Therefore, it's understandable that Shakib Al Hasan's mental and physical health isn't in the best shape right now. Maybe in the back of his mind, he's thinking of retiring from international cricket. Shakib hasn't been able to live up to his expectations at the international level since 2021. He has to reflect on his mistakes in order to enhance his game. That's why Shakib requires a break, and that's precisely what he meant during the press briefing on Tuesday. Shakib has no plans to retire from international cricket anytime in the foreseeable future.

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Way Forward

If Shakib Al Hasan is able to participate in the South Africa tour, it will be fantastic news for the Bangladesh campaign. However, an unhappy Shakib cannot be a good fit for Bangladesh. Besides, he is unlikely to declare his retirement anytime soon since everyone expects him to play in the 2022 T20 World Cup and the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup for Bangladesh. Not just Shakib, but all of the senior members of the squad will retire from cricket at some point, and that time is rapidly approaching, which BCB must realize. The Bangladesh Cricket Board must be ready to find suitable replacements for senior players, including all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan.  

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