Under-fire Bangladesh ex-skipper Shakib announces retirement

KANPUR: Bangladesh ex-captain Shakib Al Hasan, facing prosecution for his relationship with the country´s former leader, said 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´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 said that next year´s 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 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 October 21 is still under a cloud, with the Proteas assessing whether Bangladesh is safe enough after last month´s revolution. Shakib told reporters ahead of Friday´s second Test against India 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 Twenty20 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.