Shanto still hopeful for Shakib’s farewell on home soil despite current challenges

In a dramatic turn of events, Shakib Al Hasan did not return to Bangladesh as planned.

Despite setting off to play his farewell Test, the veteran all-rounder had to turn back to the United States from Dubai. Following protests triggered by the news of his return, the government advised Shakib not to come back to Bangladesh for security reasons.

With no guarantee of improvement in the situation, there is still uncertainty about whether Shakib can bid farewell on home soil. However, Najmul Hossain Shanto remains hopeful that Bangladesh's greatest cricketer will have his farewell in front of a home crowd.

Shakib had announced his retirement from Test cricket during Bangladesh's tour of India, stating his intent to play his final match in Mirpur against South Africa.

Initially, there were doubts about whether he would be able to play in his home country due to security concerns, but those issues appeared to be resolved. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) even announced the squad for the first Test with Shakib included, which stirred tensions. A group called the Mirpur Students submitted a memorandum to the BCB demanding Shakib's removal from the squad, after plastering anti-Shakib messages on the walls of Mirpur Stadium.

As tensions escalated, the government did not give Shakib the green light to return to Bangladesh. Even though the stage was set for his farewell, Shakib couldn't make it back. Still, Shanto remains hopeful that he will eventually be able to say goodbye on home soil. The Bangladesh captain also reminded everyone that Shakib has not officially retired from the game yet. Addressing questions about Shakib's potential farewell at a press conference before the first Test against South Africa, Shanto said, "He hasn't retired yet, so it's fair to hope that we can give him a proper farewell from home."

Shanto described the situation, where Shakib could neither play his final Test nor return home, as unfortunate. However, he refrained from discussing the issue in detail, especially on the eve of the match. "How do I see it… as I said, it's unfortunate… it should have happened (his farewell in Mirpur). But we all know why it didn't. I don't want to go into this any further the day before a Test match. I want everyone to focus on the game," Shanto added.

In addition to his international cricket duties, Shakib was also an elected Member of Parliament. In January, he was elected from the Magura-1 constituency as the candidate of the Awami League. His name was later linked to the murder case of garment worker Rubel, who died during student protests. Shakib was named as the 28th accused in the case. His long-standing silence regarding the student protests had also drawn significant criticism. The cricket legend hasn't returned to Bangladesh since June.