Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has expressed uncertainty regarding his participation in Bangladesh’s upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, set to take place in the UAE starting November 6.
Shakib, who recently announced his retirement from Test and T20 formats during the Kanpur Test against India, had hoped to play his final Test at home against South Africa. However, he did not return for that series, citing security concerns amid political unrest in Bangladesh. Despite being implicated in a murder case linked to the turmoil, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) allowed him to continue representing the national team until any legal conclusions were reached.
The BCB initially assured Shakib that he would not encounter issues returning home for the Test series against South Africa. Nonetheless, they later changed their stance, prioritizing safety as the political situation evolved, particularly after the ICC Women’s World Cup was relocated from Bangladesh to the UAE.
Shakib, who aims to conclude his international career with the Champions Trophy next year, had anticipated participating in the ODI series against Afghanistan and the subsequent series against the West Indies to prepare for the tournament. However, he has revealed that he has not yet received any information from the BCB regarding his selection.
“How can I say whether I will be playing in the ODIs against Afghanistan or not? The BCB should tell about it,” Shakib commented in an interview with Cricbuzz on Monday.
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Despite his readiness to play if selected, there are concerns within certain quarters of the BCB regarding the wisdom of including Shakib in the squad, given his recent absences from the team. Members of the BCB selection panel also conveyed their uncertainty, indicating that they have not received any directives from the board’s higher-ups regarding Shakib’s potential selection.
As the situation develops, both fans and the cricketing community will be watching closely to see whether Shakib will don the national colors once again in the forthcoming ODI series.
