New Delhi: Bangladesh Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has backed veteran player Shakib Al Hasan amid concerns over his participation with the national team in the wake up of a murder case where the name of the former captain was lodged in a FIR.
A legal notice was sent to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) demanding the removal of Shakib from all formats of the game. The notice cited the International Cricket Council (ICC) ruled that any player involved in a legal case shouldn’t be part of the national team. However, the BCB said that the 37-year-old will continue to play until he is proven guilty. The board also granted him no-objection-certificate (NOC) to play for Surrey in the ongoing County Championship.
Upon the Bangladesh cricket team’s arrival at the Hazrat Shah Jalal International Airport in Dhaka after historic Test series triumph in Pakistan, Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto was asked about Shakib’s case as the team members are scheduled to meet Professor Muhammad Yunus, who is currently serving as the Chief Advisor in the interim government of Bangladesh.
“The matter of Shakib Bhai is a different issue. However, every player supports Shakib Bhai. We all know how dedicated he is to playing and how passionate he is about the game. He always thinks of the team first. If the issue is discussed with the Chief Advisor during the reception, every player will be on the side of Shakib,” said Najmul, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
What is Shakib Al Hasan’s case?
Shakib, who has played 445 international matches for Bangladesh for 18 years, was named in a FIR last month at the Adabdor police station in Dhaka for a murder of a garment worker amid protests in the country. The cricketer, a former member of parliament (MP), was among 154 leaders of the Awami League named in the complaint by the father of the deceased.
Mohammed Rubel, a garment worker in Dhaka, participated in protests called by the Anti-Discrimination Student movement on August 5 in the national capital. In a horrific incident, Rubel was hit by a bullet during the protests and died on August 7.
During the time of the murder, Shakib was not present in Bangladesh as he played for Bangla Tigers Mississauga against Surrey Jaguars in the Global T20 Canada in Brampton. Incidentally, the match was also on August 5.
Shakib is likely to join Bangladesh’s squad for the two-match Test series against India in their backyard this month.
Bangladesh Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has backed veteran player Shakib Al Hasan amid concerns over his participation with the national team in the wake up of a murder case where the name of the former captain was lodged in a FIR. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
