Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan will continue playing and will remain part of the squad in Pakistan for the ongoing two-match Test series. Last week, Shakib was named in an FIR alongside 146 others being accused of murder during the Bangladesh unrest and the BCB had decided to delay the decision until the end of the first Test. However, as per a Cricbuzz report, it has been confirmed that Shakib will continue playing until proven guilty.
"He [Shakib] will continue playing. We received a legal notice regarding bringing him back and we replied them saying this [that he will continue to play]," BCB president Faruque Ahmed was quoted as saying in Bengali Daily Prothom Alo on Tuesday, August 27.
"Right now the FIR is filed and it is in the initial stage and there are lot of steps after this and until he is proven guilty we will make him play. The Bangladesh team will go to India after the Pakistan series and we want him in that series as well.
"He is our contracted player and if necessary we will give him legal assistance," Ahmed added.
Following the accusation, a Supreme Court lawyer, Shajib Mahmood Alam had sent a legal notice to the BCB asking for the immediate removal of Shakib with immediate effect from all forms of cricket. The notice further said that ICC rules don't allow Shakib to be part of international cricket having been named an accused asked for the cricketing body to step in before BCB readied their response.
Shakib, who played a huge role in Bangladesh's heist over Pakistan on the final day of the Rawalpindi Test, is expected to be in the XI for the second Test as well, in Karachi. However, Shakib will not return home to Bangladesh soon as he will leave for England directly from Pakistan having received an NOC to play in the County Championship for Surrey.
