In a major blow to Shakib Al Hasan's dream of playing his last Test match at home, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) refused to provide a secure passage to their star cricketer on Thursday.
Shakib announced a T20I retirement and also revealed his desire to play a last Test match against South Africa in Dhaka next month on Thursday. The BCB was quick to turn down his request for security back home, potentially resulting in the country's next match against India in Kanpur starting on Friday as the last Test for the legendary all-rounder.
The BCB president Faruque Ahmed said that the board can not provide any security to an individual and the decision needs to come from the government. He also added that they are open to playing Shakib against South Africa in the Dhaka Test next month but the security issue needs to be solved by the player himself.
"Shakib's security is not in the board's hand," Faruque told reporters. "The board can't provide an individual with personal security. He has to take a decision on that. His security has to come from the highest level of the government.
"BCB is not a security agency like the police or RAB (Rapid Action Battalion). We haven't spoken to anyone [in the government] about him. Since his case is a sub-judice matter, so we can't really do much about it. Of course, there's going to be nothing like it, his last Test at home. Shakib is going through a difficult phase of his life. I didn't try to [talk him out of the retirement]. He thought that this was the right time for him to retire. I respect his decision."
Shakib, 37, was allegedly named in a murder chargesheet during the recent violent political unrest in Bangladesh. The player hasn't been home since the protests as he was a Member of Parliament of the Awami League-led government which was overthrown by the protesters.
Earlier on Thursday, the spin all-rounder, speaking to media ahead of the second Test against India in Kanpur, revealed his desire to finish his red-ball cricket career at home if the BCB provided security assurances.
