The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced on Tuesday, August 27, that veteran allrounder Shakib al Hasan will continue representing Bangladesh until proven guilty, despite being named in a First Information Report (FIR) related to a murder case during recent unrest in the country.
Earlier, BCB officials had indicated that a decision regarding Shakib's future participation would be made after the opening Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi. In response to the FIR, Supreme Court lawyer Shajib Mahmood Alam sent a legal notice to the BCB on Saturday, demanding Shakib's immediate removal from all forms of cricket. The notice, sent on behalf of Advocate Md Rafinur Rahman, was delivered via email and registered post.
The legal notice, as seen by Cricbuzz, argues that since Shakib has been implicated in a case, he should not be allowed to remain in the national team, in line with the rules of the International Cricket Council (ICC). It also requests that Shakib be brought back to Bangladesh to expedite the investigation and that the ICC be informed of the situation.
BCB president Faruque Ahmed, quoted in the Bengali daily Prothom Alo, stated that Shakib will continue playing for now. He explained that the FIR is still in its early stages, and until Shakib is proven guilty, he will remain part of the team. Faruque also confirmed that Shakib is expected to participate in the upcoming series in India after the Pakistan series. He said that Shakib is a contracted player and that the BCB is prepared to provide legal support if necessary.
Shakib will not return to Bangladesh with the team after the Test series against Pakistan, as he is set to travel to England to play a four-day match for Surrey. The BCB has granted him a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from September 5 to 14 to participate in the County match against Somerset.
A BCB official informed Cricbuzz that Shakib, who has not played red-ball cricket for some time, has been given the NOC to help him readjust to the format. The match between Surrey and Somerset is scheduled for September 9 to 12, after which Shakib will rejoin the national squad in India. Bangladesh is scheduled to play two Tests and three T20Is in India, starting on September 19.