No plans of slowing down for Shakib with fresh challenges on the horizon

Dec. 12 (Daily Mirror) - Bangladesh veteran Shakib Al Hasan is prepared to forgo opportunities in franchise cricket to prolong his international career in all three formats.

Shakib is currently on the sidelines nursing the finger injury he picked up last month during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, but the world-class all-rounder is already planning to return during Bangladesh's domestic T20 tournament next month and wants to appear at next year's ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

While tempted to play more domestic tournaments around the world, Shakib insists his priority remains to play for his country in all three formats of the game.

Shakib has featured in the last five editions of the 50-over World Cup, has scored more T20I runs than any other player from Bangladesh and remains one of the first picked in Test match cricket.

And the 36-year-old does not want to put an end date on his outstanding international career just yet, prepared to skip the opportunity to appear in domestic white-ball tournaments around the world to ensure he continues to lead from the front for his country.

"I did not give my name in IPL and so there a window will be opened and when my manager gave my name in PSL I told him to withdraw it and my name is not there in PSL so my plan is to give all this time to national team because I will sacrifice the franchise tournament that I used to play," Shakib said.

"I am playing in three formats and hope that I can continue that but no one knows about (the) future and what is in store but till now I have the desire to play cricket for a long time."

Bangladesh managed just two victories when missing out of the knockout stages of the World Cup in India, but showed a marked improved performance in their return to international cricket when they drew their recent ICC World Test Championship series on home soil against New Zealand.

They now turn their attention to a white-ball series in New Zealand later this month that consists of three ODIs and three T20Is, which Shakib was scheduled to feature in until he was advised to skip the tour and continue his rehabilitation from injury.

"I was hoping that I will be going to New Zealand for the ODI and T20I series as now the team is departing for the tour and I was planning in that way because I felt I will be ok by four weeks," Shakib added.

"But I have consulted a doctor two days back and he asked me to wait as I will need another two weeks and later start the rehabilitation.

"It is taking more time than expected as it will need six weeks and the next option is that after doing the rehabilitation and gaining fitness I don't see any other way before BPL and there is election and so I will be busy so I will return to competitive cricket through BPL and can play from the start of BPL by getting full fitness."