Bangladesh pace bowler Taskin Ahmed has expressed his intention to retire from Test cricket due to a persistent shoulder injury, focusing instead on white-ball cricket. Taskin has reportedly submitted a letter to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) requesting to be considered only for white-ball formats to allow him more time to recover from his shoulder injury.
A top official from BCB confirmed that Taskin had indeed sent a letter stating his desire to retire from longer-format cricket. However, the board is yet to make a decision on this matter. They plan to discuss this issue with Taskin and head coach Chandika Hathurusingha after the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) concludes.
BCB’s chief selector, Minhajul Abedin, mentioned that they would consult with the board’s physicians to assess Taskin’s injury status before making a decision. Taskin had sustained a shoulder tear during the World Cup, leading to his absence from several matches in the tournament. He underwent a rehabilitation program to regain fitness but missed subsequent Test series against New Zealand.
Taskin is currently participating in the BPL for Durdanto Dhaka, where he continues to manage his injury and undergo rehabilitation. Despite improvements in his rhythm, Taskin admitted that he is not yet back to his best form. He is reluctant to undergo surgery for his shoulder injury, as it would require a lengthy recovery period.
In the past, Taskin was denied permission to participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to his injury. He also missed out on an IPL opportunity in 2022 when the BCB did not release him to join Lucknow Super Giants as a replacement player.
Another Bangladeshi pacer, Mustafizur Rahman, has also requested to be excluded from red-ball cricket due to injury concerns, focusing solely on white-ball formats. BCB granted Mustafizur permission to play in the IPL but decided against granting the same for Taskin and Shoriful Islam, who are both involved in longer-format cricket for Bangladesh.
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