Can anyone replace Shakib Al Hasan in the Bangladesh team? This brilliant all-rounder cricketer, Shakib has reached a unique height by showing great consistency in the international arena in the last decade for Bangladesh. Shakib has taken more than 500 wickets and 10,000 runs on the international stage and is already considered among the greatest all-rounders of all time. However, there is no doubt that he is the best cricketer that Bangladesh has ever produced. 

Being in his mid-30s, Shakib is nearing the end of his career and at one-point BCB has to think about alternative options to replace Shakib. In the article, we discussed potential players who have the talent to replace Shakib Al Hasan in the Bangladesh team.

 Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/bangladesh/content/player/56143.html

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Absence of Shakib Al Hasan in Test Cricket of Bangladesh

Kolkata Knight Riders have bought Shakib Al Hasan for more than Rs 3 crore in IPL 2021 auction. At this point, Shakib is not interested to play Test cricket for Bangladesh rather he wants to take part in the Indian Premier League.

Shakib officially informed the BCB that he wants NOC to participate in the IPL 14 instead of the Test series against the Lankan side in April-May.

Bangladesh Cricket Board officials and tigers cricket fans, in general, were surprised by the decision of Shakib Al Hasan. Many have raised questions about Shakib Al Hasan’s commitment towards Bangladesh cricket and his loyalty to the country.

The BCB is shaken by Shakib's decision and cricket board President Nazmul Hasan Papon told the reporters that this issue would be taken into consideration when signing the next central contract with the cricketers. Though Nazmul Hasan reaffirmed that the cricket board will not force anyone to play for Bangladesh against their will.

Due to Shakib's lack of interest in the longer version of cricket, there is a debate going on nationwide over who could be Shakib Al Hasan's alternative for the long run.

Prospective alternatives of Shakib Al Hasan in the Bangladesh team

It will be hard to find a suitable replacement for Shakib Al Hasan, who has served as among the top all-rounders in the world for more than a decade. However, there is no shortage of talented cricketers in Bangladesh at present. There are some talents who have the potential to become the best in the world.

Let's take a look at five players who can replace Shakib Al Hasan in the Bangladesh team.

Afif Hossain

Career stats: 141 | Runs: 3,461 | HS: 142 | Wkts: 70 | BBI: 7/66

Afif Hossain is a left-hand batsman and a handy right-hand off-break bowler. He made his international debut against Sri Lanka in a T20 match in the year 2018. This Khulna-born player has got everything to become one the finest player for Bangladesh in near future. He already shined for the Tigers in age-level competition and also showed his true potential in BPL as well. Afif took 5 wickets in his debut BPL match against Chittagong in 2016. At the domestic level, he notched five first-class centuries in 23 matches. At the age of 21, Afif Hossain has already shown a lot of maturity as an all-round player, and many Bangladeshi pundits already dubbed him as the next Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz

Career stats: 210 | Runs: 3,429 | HS: 103 | Wkts: 322 | BBI: 7/24

Mehidy Miraz is already an established cricketer of the Bangladesh national team set up particularly in the Test arena. He is the fastest Bangladeshi bowler to take 100 Test wickets (24 matches). Though Mehidy is not a regular starter in the limited over formats due to his lack of intent in batting in those two formats he has got everything to become a genuine all-rounder for the Bangladesh team. In the age-level competition, Miraz was a regular run-scorer for the Tigers. At the senior level, he just needs to work on his batting to score more on regular basis. Miraz has the talent to fill the shoe of Shakib Al Hasan after his retirement.

Mahedi Hasan

Career stats: 163 | Runs: 3,863 | HS: 177 | Wkts: 190 | BBI: 5/46

All-rounder Mahedi Hasan has been in supreme touch in the domestic circuit since BCB President’s Cup last September. Aggressor Mahedi is capable to bat at any position and a very hand bowler to provide a breakthrough. Especially in limited-overs cricket, Mahedi Hasan could become a trump card for Bangladesh if he gets the opportunity. Mahadi has amassed nearly 4,000 runs and 200 wickets in the domestic league but we yet to witness his true potential on the international stage.

Aminul Islam Biplob

Career stats: 38 | Runs: 614 | HS: 90* | Wkts: 19 | BBI: 3/34

Everyone went gaga over Aminul Islam Biplob’s T20 international debut against Zimbabwe in 2019. He picked up 2 wickets for 18 in 4 overs and had created a lot of pressure on the Zimbabwean batters. Although Aminul started his career as a batsman but has become a genuine leg-spinner over the years. Now many consider him the best leg-spinner in the country. Aminul lacks consistency but he has the potential to serve Bangladesh for many years if he can sort out his problems and maintain consistency like Shakib.

Nayeem Hassan

Career stats: 97 | Runs: 854 | HS: 51* | Wkts: 184 | BBI: 8/47

Off-spinner Nayeem Hasan is a regular starter of the Bangladesh Test team. Besides being a promising spinner, Nayeem is also known for his capability to bat at the lower down the order. The 21-year-old cricketer has already bagged more than 100 wickets in first-class cricket. Nayeem can become a very important player for Bangladesh in the near future if he is able to take him to the next level.

Read Bangladesh ODI Squad Analysis for New Zealand Series 2021