After T20 World Cup exit, BCB reveals Shakib's roadmap for next ICC tournament

Bangladesh’s long-running Shakib Al Hasan saga has taken different turn, with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) actively moving towards a imaginable comeback for the seasoned all-rounder, perchance arsenic aboriginal arsenic the upcoming location bid against Pakistan successful March. Batting manager Mohammad Ashraful, however, believes that if Shakib does marque his instrumentality to planetary cricket, the ambition should agelong good beyond a farewell appearance. In Ashraful’s view, the erstwhile skipper should alternatively acceptable his sights connected representing Bangladesh astatine the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Shakib’s sanction returned to the spotlight aft the BCB confirmed past week that it was keen to bring him backmost into the nationalist fold. While the determination initially appeared symbolic successful the aftermath of Bangladesh’s World Cup struggles, BCB manager Asif Akbar insisted that it was portion of a genuine, ongoing program alternatively than a nationalist relations exercise. According to Cricbuzz, the committee has remained successful regular interaction with Shakib and is targeting his instrumentality up of the three-match ODI bid against Pakistan, scheduled for March 12, 14 and 16. The Test limb of the circuit volition beryllium held aboriginal successful May, aft the Pakistan Cricket Board projected splitting the bid owed to the Pakistan Super League. “We are communicating with Shakib connected a regular ground and helium is keen to play, and if everything goes according to our plan, we are hoping to bring him backmost earlier the location bid against Pakistan,” Asif said to Cricbuzz.

He added that Shakib’s superior interest relates to his idiosyncratic information and the harassment cases lodged against him, matters presently being examined by the government. “These are not nether our jurisdiction (his cases), but we took a determination – among the 25 BCB committee members, astir 23 of america were contiguous and astir each unanimously wanted Shakib successful the team,” Asif explained. According to Asif, the committee has besides tasked its president with engaging the authorities to assistance resoluteness the ineligible hurdles.

“Our president was fixed the work to sermon the substance with the authorities – that we privation Shakib, and the authorities should look into his ineligible issues. That’s all, thing more,” helium said. While officials person indicated March arsenic a imaginable instrumentality window, Ashraful feels Shakib should reconsider his antecedently stated status plans. The erstwhile Bangladesh skipper had announced successful September 2024 that helium would discontinue from T20Is instantly and hoped to extremity his Test vocation aft the location bid against South Africa, taxable to information clearance. That clearance ne'er came. Following the autumn of the Awami League government, Shakib – a erstwhile Member of Parliament nether the erstwhile authorities – was incapable to instrumentality location and has efficaciously lived successful exile, missing planetary cricket for implicit a year. More recently, Shakib has expressed a tendency to play each 3 formats successful beforehand of location fans earlier officially retiring, a stance that aligns with the BCB’s existent approach. Ashraful, though, believes a much selective way could widen Shakib’s worth to the team. “I saw an interrogation of his wherever helium said that helium wants to discontinue from Bangladesh aft playing each formats. But I personally deliberation that successful today’s cricket, if you play lone 1 format – similar Mushfiqur is present playing lone Tests… if helium wants to absorption lone connected that, arsenic agelong arsenic helium wants and arsenic agelong arsenic helium performs, helium tin support playing,” Ashraful told Cricbuzz. He pointed to the 2027 ODI World Cup arsenic a realistic target. “Since determination is simply a World Cup coming aft different twelvemonth [2027 ODI World Cup]… if Shakib wants to proceed lone ODI cricket for Bangladesh up to the 2027 World Cup, his property volition beryllium astir 37–38. And with the mode workload is managed successful modern cricket, playing up to 40–42 is not an contented astatine all,” helium said. Ashraful added that Shakib’s continued beingness successful planetary franchise leagues strengthens the lawsuit for a limited-format role. “That would beryllium bully due to the fact that helium is fit, and helium is playing each the franchise tournaments. It’s not similar helium is sitting astatine home. Since helium plays each franchise leagues, and if for Bangladesh helium continues lone ODIs with World Cup planning, past it volition beryllium bully for everyone,” helium noted. Shakib himself has remained guarded. When contacted aft the BCB’s announcement, helium declined to spell retired his plans. “Let’s spot what happens,” helium said, acknowledging the complexity of the situation. In September past year, Bangladesh’s sports advisor Asif Mahmud had publically stated that Shakib would not beryllium allowed to correspond the state aft helium wished erstwhile Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina connected her birthday. Shakib past played planetary cricket successful 2024, featuring successful Tests against Pakistan and India. That play marked the archetypal clip a authorities authoritative openly confirmed his exclusion from the nationalist side. Complicating matters further, Shakib was reported for a fishy bowling enactment during his region stint with Surrey successful 2024 and was subsequently suspended.

He aboriginal admitted that excessive bowling had taken a toll connected his action, partially intentionally, earlier being cleared to resume bowling aft passing reassessment. Now progressive crossed aggregate franchise leagues, Shakib has maintained that staying acceptable remains cardinal to his anticipation of returning location and wearing Bangladesh colours erstwhile again. Whether that travel ends successful March oregon stretches towards the 2027 World Cup remains unresolved, but the speech astir his comeback has firmly begun.