Facing protest threats, Bangladesh cricketer Shakib Al Hasan has cancelled his plan to return home to play a Test match in Dhaka, which he had said would be his final appearance in the longer format of cricket.
Shakib was expected to arrive in Dhaka from the USA, where his family resides, on Thursday night.
However, he decided to cancel due to protests in Mirpur, where the first Test of the two-match series between Bangladesh and South Africa is scheduled to be held on October 21.
Speaking to the media, Shakib said he is not returning at this time due to security concerns, effectively signalling an unofficial end to his Test career.
Asif Mahmud, the sports adviser to Bangladesh's interim government, mentioned that he had advised the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to discourage Shakib's return, citing the risk of public backlash.
Shakib was a member of the Awami League-led government, which was toppled by a popular student-citizen uprising in July and August this year. The former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's government used deadly force to quell the protests, resulting in at least 1,000 deaths.
Shakib's silence during the protests has angered many of his young fans, many of whom have turned against him.
Al Mashnun, a protester who was among those who wrote to the BCB urging them not to play Shakib in Dhaka, stated that they had demanded that Shakib not play for the national team.
BCB has yet to comment on Shakib's potential participation in the national team.
Gazi Ashraf Hossain, BCB chief selector, noted that he has no official confirmation regarding Shakib's participation in the upcoming Test against South Africa in Dhaka.
"As far as I know, he is available to play in the first Test," he told UNB. "But there are some other issues at play. I cannot yet confirm whether Shakib has chosen not to play the Dhaka Test."
