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The first Test of the two-match series against South Africa, at Mirpur, was supposed to be the last of Shakib Al Hasan’s illustrious career, but Shakib chose to withdraw from his farewell Test.
Shakib played in the recent Test series in India. Despite being named in an FIR for a murder case, Shakib was set to play the first Test of the ongoing series against South Africa, at Mirpur, which was going to be his last. The selectors sought the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s permission before picking him.
A day after that, the Mirpur Chhatra Janata, a student organisation, wrote to the BCB, demanding Shakib be dropped. Shakib was an elected MP when Awami League, previously in power in the nation, was overthrown.
Shakib subsequently told ESPNcricinfo: “I am not sure where I am going next, but it is almost sure that I am not going home”. Sports adviser Asif Bhuiyan confirmed that he had told Shakib not to travel to Bangladesh because of security concerns.
The day after that, the selectors replaced Shakib with Hasan Murad in the squad. Murad has played two T20Is, but is uncapped in Test cricket. A left-arm spinner like Shakib (albeit without the batting credentials), he has 136 first-class wickets at 21.04.
This may bring curtains on Shakib’s international career, after 71 Tests (4,609 runs, 246 wickets), 247 ODIs (7,570 runs, 317 wickets), and 129 T20Is (2,551 runs, 149 wickets). Although he hasn’t yet explicitly stated his ODI retirement intentions.
For the Test match, Bangladesh went in with three spinners – Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, and Nayeem Hasan – along with a lone seamer in Hasan Mahmud, and gave out a maiden Test cap to wicketkeeper Jaker Ali. South Africa also brought in a debutant, Matthew Breetzke, as Temba Bavuma missed out with an injury.
At the Test, Bangladesh were rocked by Wiaan Mulder’s triple strike. Kagiso Rabada then bowled Mushfiqur Rahim to pick up his 300th Test wicket, leaving the hosts reeling at 40-4.
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