The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has said that Shakib Al Hasan will continue to play for the national team until proven guilty as the cricketer being named in the FIR relating to a murder case.
Shakib along with 146 others has been named in a FIR for their involvement in a murder that took place during the anti-government protests in Bangladesh.
The BCB has recently received a legal notice against Sakib from a Supreme Court lawyer representing a man whose father was murdered. The legal notice asked for the removal of the cricketer from the Bangladesh team as per the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) rules.
But Farquee Ahmed has confirmed that Sakib will continue to play for Bangladesh. “He [Shakib] will continue playing. We received a legal notice regarding bringing him back, and we replied to them,” said newly appointed BCB president Faruque Ahmed.
“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 provide him with legal assistance.”
Shakib will not be returning to Bangladesh after the second test against Pakistan which ends on September 03. He will travel to England to take part in a four-day match for Surrey. Here, Shakib will return to India for a two-match series which starts on September 19.
“He [Shakib] has not played red-ball cricket for a while, and that is why we have given him an NOC to play for Surrey, as it will help him adjust to red-ball cricket more than anything else,” said a BCB official.
The County Championship first division match between Somerset and Surrey will be played between September 09 and 12 at County Ground, Taunton.
