KANPUR: Bangladesh’s for­mer captain Shakib Al Hasan, facing prosecution for his relationship with the country’s former leader, said on Thursday he would soon retire from international cricket but hoped to play at least one more match back home first.

Shakib is facing murder charges along with dozens of other members of ex-premier Sheikh Hasina Wajid’s party who have been accused of culpability in a deadly police crackdown on protesters.

The 37-year-old, who briefly served as a lawmaker under Hasina this year, has not returned to Bangladesh since the toppling of her government last month in a student-led revolution.

Shakib, who has represented Bangladesh in 70 Tests, 247 ODIs and 129 T20 matches since his international debut in 2006, said that next year’s ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan would be his last international outing.

But he added that he wanted to return home for a slated two-Test series against South Africa, and had asked the Bangladesh Cricket Board if he could come back.

“It’s my desire, I have said this to the BCB and the selectors,” Shakib told reporters ahead of Friday’s second Test against India in Kanpur.

“They agreed with me, that they are trying to organise everything if possible, so that I can go back to Bangladesh, play those two Test matches in Mirpur and finish my Test career there.”

He added: “If that doesn’t happen maybe this is my last one.”

The South Africa tour due to start on Oct 21 is still under a cloud, with the Proteas assessing whether Bangla­desh is safe enough after last month’s revolution.

Shakib told reporters in Kanpur that he did not “want to talk much” about the criminal proceedings against him.

“You all know what type of case it is, and where I was and what I was doing at that time,” he said.

Shakib was playing in a domestic T20 cricket competition in Canada during the unrest that ousted Hasina.

He said he hoped to return home to play the swan song of his Test career against South Africa if the series went ahead.

“I am a citizen of Bangla­desh, so I shouldn’t have any problem going back to Bangladesh,” he said.

“My concern is my safety and security in Bangladesh. My close friends and family me­mbers are concerned. I hope things are getting better.”

Shakib said he had already called time on his T20 career following the World Cup in June.

“I played my last match during my last game of the World Cup. We have discussed this with selectors and board,” he said.

“This is the right time for me to move on and BCB will look into some new players.”

Shakib said that he would play his final 50-over matches at the Champions Trophy, which will be hosted by Pakistan in February.

“I have eight games to go in ODIs and the Champions Tro­phy will be [my] last,” he said.

Shakib was the driving force of the Bangladesh team’s rise to become serious international contenders, enthralling fans through both star turns and scandals.

He remains the only player to have topped the International Cricket Council all-rounder rankings in all three formats simultaneously.

Shakib played a key role in his team’s historic Test series sweep in Pakistan earlier this month, and went to England to play county cricket for Surrey before heading to India.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2024