An all-rounder like no other in T20Is

Shakib Al Hasan, a name that has been synonymous with the Bangladesh cricket team in all three formats for almost 18 years, called time on his T20I career yesterday at a press conference in Kanpur ahead of today's second and final Test against hosts India, pulling down the curtain on an illustrious international career in the shortest format.

"I am not hurt or disappointed. I think it is the right time to move on and create a place for the new players," Shakib told the media yesterday.

This announcement ended Shakib's journey in T20Is, which began with Bangladesh's first-ever match in the format on November 28, 2006, at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna against Zimbabwe.

His 129th and final match for the Tigers in the shortest format was their Super Eights match of the ICC T20 World Cup against Afghanistan in Kingstown on June 24 earlier this year, which they lost by eight runs.

His T20I career, easily the greatest among all Bangladeshi cricketers, ended in a whimper considering the last thing he did in the format was to give a simple return catch to Naveen-ul-Haq to depart for a first-ball duck.

But that does not take away anything from his incredible career, one that certainly puts him in contention of being called the greatest all-rounder in T20Is till now.

Now, the debate on who is the greatest all-rounder of all time in cricket has been raging on for decades, with many candidates for the top-most spot but none being the clear-cut choice.

The evolution of the game from its primitive days to the modern era, the changes in laws and playing conditions, and the introduction of a brand new format in the 2000s have only added to the complexities of the debate with no clear consensus on who is the best ever.

But instead of trying to find the greatest all-rounder in all of cricket, if one goes format by format, he/she would be hard-pressed to find an all-rounder with a better career in T20Is than Shakib.

Shakib's T20I career spanned 17 years and 209 days, longer than any other player in the world.

The 37-year-old is both Bangladesh's highest run-getter and wicket-taker in the format and was either the top-ranked all-rounder or at least thereabouts for the majority of this period.

Shakib also has five player-of-the-series awards, the joint second-highest in the world. With 2551 runs, he ranks 13th in the list of highest run-getters in the format and the only all-rounder who is ahead of him is Australia's Glenn Maxwell at 10th with 2600 runs.

He is also third in the wicket-taker's list with 149 wickets, whereas Maxwell has only 43 to his name.

Shakib's detractors, over the years, have pointed to the lack of quality opponents he has faced. But the pressure Shakib had to endure to carry a team devoid of stars in the shortest format should not be forgotten.

Through his performances in T20Is, Shakib made his way into T20 leagues across the world and was the first to show that a player from Bangladesh can become a highly sought-after commodity in world cricket. More than anything, that will be the lasting legacy of Shakib's T20I career.