Former Bangladesh opening batsman Shahriar Nafees and left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak brought the curtain down on their playing career.
The duo announced their retirement at a ceremony organized by Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Cricket Board jointly at the BCB media center at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka Saturday.
Both Shahriar and Razzak might have left the field but will remain part of cricket, having joined BCB in different roles.
Razzak has been named as the third member of the national selection panel while Shahriar has joined BCB cricket operations department in a managerial post.
The former national cricketers were presented with crests by BCB president Nazmul Hasan, directors and high-ups of the board.
“It is natural for everything to come to an end, and that someone else will take my place. I was a student of BKSP and I would like to thank my childhood coaches Sarwar Imran and Nazmul Abedeen Fahim. I met them when I was 13 and they turned me into a cricketer who went on to represent the country at the highest level,” said the 38-year old Razzak during the ceremony.
Razzak was the first Bangladeshi to pick up 200 ODI wickets, and also has the second-most ODI five-wicket hauls among his fellow countrymen.
In domestic cricket, Razzak was unparalleled as he bagged 643 first-class wickets in 137 appearances.
Veteran left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak is set to retire from all forms of cricket after joining the Bangladesh Cricket Board national selection panel officially.
Posted by Sports Tribune on Thursday, 11 February 2021
Razzak scripted a surprising international return after a gap of four years, in 2018, and at the age of 35, to play against Sri Lanka in Dhaka, which turned out to be his last international outing.
Meanwhile, the 35-year old Shahriar, one of the most elegant left-handed batsmen Bangladesh has produced, thanked his family and his first coach Wahidul Gani.
“I would like to thank my wife and kids, my in-laws, as well as my first coach Wahidul Gani. At the same time, I must thank my supporters who always encouraged me, and the media who always inspired me to do things right,” said an emotional Shahriar during his speech.
Following a low-scoring 2007 World Cup, Shahriar lost his place in the team and in mid-2008 joined the rebel Indian Cricket League.
BCB initially banned Shahriar for 10 years but later lifted the suspension in less than a year, allowing him to return to competitive cricket.
Shahriar made a comeback to the national team in 2010 for a Test against India and since then made 23 more appearances for the country in different formats, including the 2011 World Cup at home.
Shahriar in his 100 international appearances scored 3,493 runs, including five centuries and 20 half centuries.
