Published : 17 Oct 2024, 09:19 PM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 11:59 AM
Unless there is a dramatic shift in the prevailing circumstances, Shakib Al Hasan says he will not be returning to Bangladesh to play his farewell Test as a member of the national cricket team.
Though he had planned to fly home for the Test against South Africa on home soil, Shakib – often considered Bangladesh’s greatest cricketer – will be returning to the US from Dubai.
He told bdnews24.com on Thursday that he will not be able to make the trip to Dhaka for his own security.
“I was to return home… but now I don’t think I can,” he said. “It is over a security issue. A matter of my own security.”
Asked if this was the final decision on the matter, Shakib said: “You can say this is the final decision.”
This means that the cricketer will not be able to draw his Test career to a close on home soil and the Kanpur match against India will be the bow for one of the game’s great all-rounders.
A day before the start of the Kanpur Test, Shakib had announced his intention to retire from cricket's longest format after the home series against South Africa in Mirpur later this month.
However, a murder case against him cast uncertainty over his return to Bangladesh.
Faruque Ahmed, the president of Bangladesh Cricket Board, or BCB, and Youth and Sports Advisor Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan had issued stringent messages at first, asking Shakib to clarify his political stance.
In a lengthy Facebook post, the Bangladesh all-rounder then expressed regret for remaining silent during the Anti-discrimination movement and explained his involvement in politics. The BCB president and the sports advisor also eased their tone afterwards.
A few days ago, the sports advisor said that he believes Shakib should face no obstacles returning home or leaving the country, assuring security to the country’s cricket icon on the field. Following the statement on Wednesday, the selectors named the 37-year-old cricketer in the 15-member Bangladesh squad for the Mirpur Test.
However, Shakib's anticipated return has been a polarising issue for cricket fans. Well before the announcement of the squad, there were protests outside Mirpur's Sher-e-Bangla Stadium aimed at preventing his return.
The protestors' sentiments were evident in various writings and graffiti on the stadium walls. There have also been reports of confrontations between Shakib's detractors and supporters.
The protests against Shakib's inclusion continued on Wednesday when an effigy of the cricketer-turned-politician was burnt. A Facebook event has also been organised to stop his return, and a group plans to submit a memorandum to the BCB on Thursday.
These programmes are said to have played a big role in Shakib's eventual inability to return home. The South Africa squad are currently in Dhaka and their practice is under way at the capital’s Mirpur stadium.
At this time, many believe that if there is a protest near the stadium and the law and order situation around it deteriorates, the Proteas can be startled, raising questions over the image of the country's cricket in the international arena.
Considering the circumstances, the concerned authorities have refused to allow Shakib to return home for the time being, BCB sources said.
BCB President Faruque is currently in Dubai for an ICC meeting. Attempts to get a comment from him to this end met with silence.
Shakib was elected to parliament from the Magura on the Awami League ticket in the last national election. After the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government, a murder case was initiated against him at Adabor Police Station in August. He is the 28th of 156 accused in the lawsuit filed over the murder of garment factory worker Md Rubel.
The cricketer, who has remained at the top of the ICC all-rounders' rankings for the longest time, will end his career with 71 Test appearances if he does not play again.
He has already announced that he will continue playing one-day cricket until the ICC Champions Trophy in February and March. There is no ODI game on the country’s pitches before that tournament.
There is a series with Afghanistan in the United Arab Emirates next month, and another series in the West Indies in December. It still remains uncertain whether the BCB will allow Shakib to play outside the country.
He is also scheduled to play for the Chittagong Kings in the Bangladesh Premier League, or BPL, at the end of December. There is uncertainty over whether he can play in those matches.
