Shakib wishes to play one final bilateral series before signing off

Last year, on the eve of the second Test against India in Kanpur in September 2024, Shakib announced his retirement from T20Is with immediate effect and expressed to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) his desire to retire from Test cricket at the end of next month's home series against South Africa in Mirpur, subject to security clearance to play in that series.
Following that announcement, Shakib has failed to get security clearance to return home and has been living in exile since the fall of Awami League government. A Member of Parliament at the time of the erstwhile government, he did not play international cricket for over a year.
Shakib is currently busy playing in different franchise-based leagues and he insisted that he is still continuing his cricketing journey with the hope of returning home sooner than later, and to make his dream into reality he needs to stay fit and in shape and that is the reason he is playing.
"I am hopeful (to return to Bangladesh) and that's why I am playing (to retire in front of home crowd) and I think it will happen and that's the reason, the only reason I am playing (is to stay fit and stay in shape so that I can make me available for international cricket)," Shakib was quoted on the Beard Before Wicket podcast, which featured Moeen Ali, on Sunday.
"My plan is to go back to Bangladesh, play one full series of ODI, Test, and T20, and retire. I mean, [I can] retire from all formats in a series. So it can start from T20I, ODI and Test, or Test, ODI, T20I. Either way, I'm fine, but I want to play a whole series and retire. That's what I want," he said adding that he will not continue further after the series.
"I think when a player says something they try to stick to their words. They normally don't change it all of a sudden. It doesn't matter if I play well or not. I might play a bad series after that, if I want to play. But I don't need to do that," he said.
"I think this is enough. It's just a nicer way to say bye to the fans that they supported me always, give something back to them, playing a home series," he added.
Shakib last played Tests against Pakistan and India in 2024. While he was effectively barred from international cricket during that period, this is the first time a government official has publicly confirmed the ban.
Shakib, who was reported for a suspect actionand subsequently suspended after his county stint with Surrey in 2024, revealed that excessive bowling had a toll on him and as a result he had been bowling with an illegal action a little bit intentionally. Shakib was later cleared to continue with his bowlingafter failing in the first test.
"I think I was doing it a little bit intentionally because I bowled more than 70 overs [in one match], I never bowled 70 overs in my career in a Test match. I was playing that four-day match for Surrey against Somerset in Taunton. I was so tired. I played back-to-back Test matches in Pakistan. We won that series and then I went to play those four-day matches. The only thing I was thinking the umpire could have done was just warn me first, at least. But it is in the rules, so they had the right. I didn't complain," said Shakib.
"I went to do the test, I failed. And then I saw my test. I was like, 'okay, so these things are happening'. Then I had to train for a couple of weeks so I went back to Surrey again and they were kind enough to help me. I did two sessions and I was back to normal. I was like, 'it's so easy'," he said.