Shakib Al Hasan will miss the two-Test series against South Africa
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Shakib Al Hasan has requested a six-month break from Test cricket in a letter he submitted to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
The BCB discussed the matter on Monday and confirmed that he will miss the two-Test series in South Africa.
However, Shakib will feature in the limited overs portion of Bangladesh’s tour of South Africa, which will comprise of three ODIs and two Twenty20 Internationals.
“Shakib has submitted a letter to the BCB asking for a six-month break from Test cricket,” Jalal Yunus, the BCB’s media committee chairman, said.
The 30-year-old’s desire to take some time off from the longest format comes as a major surprise, especially as he starred in the recent two-Test series against Australia, which ended as a 1-1 draw.
Shakib played an instrumental role with both the bat and ball in the opening Test in Dhaka as he led Bangladesh to their first-ever Test win over Australia.
Overall, the Magura native ended up taking 12 wickets at an average of 22.50 and scored 115 runs, which included a half-century, at an average of 28.75.
“I get surprised when people ask me why I don’t take a break from one-day or Twenty20 internationals or from the foreign T20 league,” he was quoted as saying by NDTV. “When I play foreign T20 leagues I feel hardly any pressure. For me they are a kind of holiday. Of course, they give me some experience. Financial side is also important.
“But in Test match, I have to bat and bowl and contribute in all four innings. The team also expects me to do that. It’s not good if I cannot give my hundred per cent.”
While Shakib enjoyed a lot of success against the Baggy Greens, it is understood that his decision to ask for a break stems from the fact that he wants to prolong his international career.
“The biggest reason is I think I have still plenty of cricket left,” he said. “If I want to play that amount of cricket and play it well, I think this break is essential for me.
“I can play now if I wish. But I have to decide whether I want play five to six more years or just one to two years. I personally feel if I continue this way, I would not be able to play more than one or two years.
“I don’t want to play just for the sake of playing. That is why, I think if I get this break, I can refresh myself, more mentally than physically, and play five or six years without any tension.
“If I go to South Africa after two Test matches, I will get a break of about a month. I haven’t got this kind of a break in the last three or four years.”