As Bangladesh gets ready for the tour game ahead of their two-Test series in the Caribbean, they’ll be starting a Test series without Shakib Al Hasan(one of the greatest test all rounders), Mushfiqur Rahim, or Tamim Iqbal for the first time in 18 years. Tamim retired last year, swapping his bat for a microphone, while Mushfiqur is sidelined with an injury. Shakib, considered Bangladesh’s greatest Test cricketer, is also missing due to personal issues that prevented him from playing last month.
This series will be Bangladesh’s last Test series in the current World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, and they won’t play another until their tour of Sri Lanka in June-July 2025. Shakib has already announced his intention to retire from international cricket after the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan, which likely means he has already played his final Test match for Bangladesh. Over his 17-year career.
Shakib has been a key figure for the team – as a captain, a leader, their star batter, and the spearhead of the bowling attack. While his career has had its controversies on and off the field, his impact on Bangladesh cricket is undeniable. As the team looks ahead to a post-Shakib era in Test cricket, here’s a look back at his remarkable career through the numbers.
Shakib Test Career
Batting
| Tests | Inngs | Runs | Avg | SR | 100s/50s | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 71 | 130 | 4609 | 37.77 | 61.67 | 5/31 | 217 |
Bowling
| Wkts | Avg | SR | 5-fers | BBI | 10-fers | BBM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 246 | 31.72 | 63.7 | 19 | 7/36 | 2 | 10/124 |
one of the greatest test all rounders
Shakib is the only player to feature in the top five list of both run-scorers and wicket-takers for his team among the ten oldest sides in Test cricket. As he retires, Shakib leaves the game as his country’s all-time top wicket-taker with 246 wickets and third on the list of leading run-scorers, with 4609 runs, behind Mushfiqur Rahim (6007) and Tamim Iqbal (5134).
Read more: Tim Southee set to retire from Test cricket after England tour in New Zealand
Shakib Joins Elite List of one of the greatest test all rounders with 4000+ Runs and 200+ Wickets in Test Cricket
Shakib is one of only seven players in Test cricket history to score over 4000 runs and take more than 200 wickets. His positive difference between batting and bowling averages is surpassed only by two legends, Garfield Sobers and Jacques Kallis, widely regarded as the greatest all-rounders to ever play the game. Shakib is also one of just two spinners on this prestigious list, alongside Daniel Vettori.
Double of 4000+ runs and 200+ wickets in Tests
| Player | Matches | Runs | Batting Avg | Wickets | Bowling Avg | Avg Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garfield Sobers | 93 | 8032 | 57.78 | 235 | 34.03 | 23.74 |
| Jacques Kallis | 166 | 13289 | 55.37 | 292 | 32.65 | 22.71 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | 71 | 4609 | 37.77 | 246 | 31.72 | 6.05 |
| Ian Botham | 102 | 5200 | 33.54 | 383 | 28.40 | 5.14 |
| Ben Stokes | 107 | 6561 | 35.27 | 203 | 32.21 | 3.31 |
| Kapil Dev | 131 | 5248 | 31.05 | 434 | 29.64 | 1.40 |
| Daniel Vettori | 113 | 4531 | 30.00 | 362 | 34.36 | -4.36 |
When Shakib led Bangladesh in Test cricket for the first time, against the West Indies at Kingstown in 2009, he was 22 years and 115 days old. He is the sixth youngest person to lead any team in the format and the youngest to do so for Bangladesh. Despite leading them in just 19 Test matches, he last captained them in April 2023 against Ireland, completing his 5013-day captaincy reign. This is the second-longest captaincy tenure, after Bob Simpson’s 5237 days.
On the fifth and final day of the Kanpur Test, Shakib made his farewell appearance and became the oldest player to play for Bangladesh, at the age of 37 years and 191 days.
Most Players of the Series awards
Shakib has the most player of the series awards for a Bangladesh players in Tests, while no other player has more than two. Shakib’s six Player of the Match awards was also a Bangladesh record for a long while before Mushfiqur surpassed him in the recent tour to Pakistan.
