Shakib retires from T20Is, also says Kanpur Test will be his last if no farewell at home
Kanpur, Sep 26: Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan on Thursday announced his retirement from T20 Internationals with immediate effect and also said that the second Test against India will be his last if his country's board doesn't give him a farewell match against South Africa at home.
His final international game for Bangladesh will be in the Champions Trophy which is likely to be held in UAE and Pakistan.
The 37-year-old great, who featured in 129 T20Is for Bangladesh will, however, continue to play in franchise leagues.
"I have played my last T20 match in T20 World Cup. We have discussed this with the selectors. Looking at the 2026 World Cup, this is the right time for me to move out. Hopefully, BCB will find some great players and we will perform well," said Shakib on the eve of the second and final Test against India here.
Shakib, who has played 70 Tests, scoring 4600 runs and taking 242 wickets might just play his last Test in the North Indian industrial town in case the cricket board can't assure him of his security after being accused of murder although he wasn't even in the country at that time.
"I have expressed my desire to play my last Test in Mirpur to BCB. They agreed with me. They are trying to organise everything so that I can go to Bangladesh.
If that won't happen, the match against India in Kanpur would be my last in Test cricket," he added.
Shakib was named as an accused in a murder case back home during the political unrest that led to the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
He was a member of Parliament from her party, the Awami League.
Shakib made the announcement while interacting with Bangladeshi media but spoke in English following a request from the Indian journalists.
In an unexpected turn of events, Shakib was named in an FIR in a murder case related to the civil protests in Bangladesh last August.
The case pertains to the death of garment worker Mohammed Rubel, whose father, Rafiqul Islam, filed the complaint on August 7.
The 37-year-old Shakib indicated that he may not travel back home after the current series in India, if he can't be promised safety.
"Going back to Bangladesh is not a problem but leaving is. My close friends and family members have concerns (about my safety), I hope things are better, well and there should be is a solution to it."
In January, Shakib had won an uncontested election to become a member of parliament for the then-ruling Awami League party. He was criticised for not speaking up for the student community during the protests.
Many Bangladeshis reportedly raised slogan against Shakib when he played in Pakistan. Even non resident Bangladeshis hurled abuses during a private T20 league, the video of which became viral on social media.
"I have 8 games to go in ODIs, and the Champions Trophy will be my last."
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
