NEW DELHI, OCT 19
Arguably the greatest Bangladesh cricketer of all time, Shakib Al Hasan’s red-ball career came to a grim end as the star all-rounder is set to miss his farewell Test, in the upcoming home two-Test series against South Africa, due to non-cricketing reasons.
During Bangladesh’s recent tour of India, the 37-year-old Shakib had expressed his desire to play his farewell Test against South Africa in Mirpur, provided the Bangladesh Cricket Board ensured his safety.
In the lead-up to the first Test that begins October 21 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, the BCB initially picked Shakib in the squad but later were forced to name young left-arm spinner Hasan Murad as a replacement after the veteran did not travel to Dhaka on Thursday.
Asif Mahmud, the Youth and Sports adviser, said that he advised Shakib to not return to Bangladesh after threats of protests in the Mirpur Test came to the fore.
Shakib, a former MP and member of Awani League, has been accused of being involved in the murder of a student during the Bangladesh protests in July, which led to several hundreds of deaths. The protests eventually led to the fall of the longstanding Awami League-led government of Sheikh Hasina on August 5. However, during that period, the veteran was taking part in a T20 league in Canada.
Faruque Ahmed, the new president of the BCB had rejected Shakib’s request saying the board was not a security agency and could not guarantee any cover for him. The sports advisor to Bangladesh’s interim government Asif Mahmud said that Shakib would be provided security once his political stance was clear.
A few days back, Shakib had issued an unconditional apology for his silence during the civil unrest in Bangladesh. “Firstly, I would like to pay my respects to all the students who sacrificed their lives, led the anti-discrimination movement, and were martyred or injured during the people’s uprising,” Shakib wrote on his official Facebook page.
“While no sacrifice can compensate for the loss of a loved one, nothing can fill the void of losing a child or a brother, to those of you who were hurt by my silence during this critical period, I respect your feelings and sincerely apologise.” He also passed on a message to the Bangladesh fans.
“You all know that I will soon be playing my last match… I want to say goodbye with all of you around.
At the moment of farewell, I want to shake hands with those whose applause compelled me to play better,” he wrote. “I want to meet the eyes of those who cheered in joy when I played well and whose eyes welled up with tears when I did not. I believe that at this farewell moment, you will all be with me. Together, we will close the story that, in truth, stars not me, but all of you,” Shakib added.
