Bangladeshi all-rounder says next year\u2019s Champions Trophy in Pakistan would be his \u201clast international outing\u201d
\n KANPUR
\nBangladesh ex-captain Shakib Al Hasan, facing prosecution for his relationship with the country\u2019s former leader, said on Thursday he would soon retire from international cricket but hoped to play at least one more match back home first.
\nShakib is facing murder charges along with dozens of other members of ex-premier Sheikh Hasina\u2019s party who have been accused of culpability in a deadly police crackdown on protesters.
\nThe 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.
\nShakib said that next year\u2019s Champions Trophy in Pakistan would be his last international outing.
\nBut 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.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s my desire, I have said this to BCB and the selectors,\u201d Shakib told reporters ahead of Friday\u2019s second Test against India in Kanpur.
\n\u201cThey 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.\u201d
\nHe added: \u201cIf that doesn\u2019t happen maybe this is my last one.\u201d
\nThe 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\u2019s revolution.
\nShakib told reporters ahead of Friday\u2019s second Test against India in Kanpur that he did not \u201cwant to talk much\u201d about the criminal proceedings against him.
\n\u201cYou all know what type of case it is, and where I was and what I was doing at that time,\u201d he said.
\nShakib was playing in a domestic Twenty20 cricket competition in Canada during the unrest that ousted Hasina.
\nHe said he hoped to return home to play the swan song of his Test career against South Africa if the series went ahead.
\n\u201cI am a citizen of Bangladesh, so I shouldn\u2019t have any problem going back to Bangladesh,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cMy concern is my safety and security in Bangladesh. My close friends and family members are concerned. I hope things are getting better.\u201d
\n\u2018Right time for me\u2019
\nShakib said he had already called time on his T20 career following the World Cup in June.
\n\u201cI played my last match during my last game of the World Cup. We have discussed this with selectors and board,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cThis is the right time for me to move on and BCB will look into some new players.\u201d
\nShakib said that he would play his final 50-over matches at the Champions Trophy, which will be hosted by Pakistan in February.
\n\u201cI have eight games to go in ODIs and the Champions Trophy will be last,\u201d he said.
\nShakib was the driving force of the Bangladesh team\u2019s rise to become serious international contenders, enthralling fans through both star turns and scandals.
\nHe remains the only player to have topped the International Cricket Council all-rounder rankings in all three formats simultaneously.
\nShakib played a key role in his team\u00b4s historic Test series sweep in Pakistan earlier this month, and went to England to play county cricket for Surrey before heading to India.
\nHe has represented Bangladesh in 70 Tests, 247 ODIs and 129 T20 matches since his international debut in 2006.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bangladeshi all-rounder says next year\u2019s Champions Trophy in Pakistan would be his \u201clast international outing\u201d KANPUR Bangladesh ex-captain Shakib Al Hasan, facing prosecution for his relationship with the country\u2019s former leader, said on Thursday he would soon retire from international cricket but hoped to play at least one more match back home first. Shakib is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":433713,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-433690","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n