Shakib Al Hasan — widely regarded as the greatest cricketer Bangladesh has ever produced — has expressed his desire to return home and play one final full series in all three formats before retiring, reports Reuters.
But what should have been a celebratory homecoming for a national icon has instead become entangled in the country’s deep political crisis under the Muhammad Yunus–led interim government. He has also become a victim of the political vengeance of the Nobel laureate–turned–power broker. Supporters of the interim regime even carried out an arson attack on the home of another cricket legend, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, who has also fled Bangladesh for his life.
Shakib, the 38-year-old former captain, revealed on a recent podcast that he is “officially not retired from all formats” and hopes to return to Bangladesh for one last ODI, Test and T20 series before formally ending his international career. The plan is simple: a farewell witnessed by his home crowd. The reality, however, is anything but.
A Cricket Legend Forced Into Political Exile
Shakib left Bangladesh after the toppling of the Sheikh Hasina government in 2024, a period marked by widespread violence, military involvement, and the rise of Islamist factions backing the interim authorities.
The new regime has shown open hostility toward Awami League figures, and Shakib — a former Member of Parliament for the party — quickly found himself branded a political target rather than a sportsman.
Despite his unparalleled contributions to cricket, the interim government refused to grant him security clearance for a farewell Test against South Africa earlier this year. Officials claimed they “could not guarantee his safety.” The implication was clear: his association with the Awami League made him too politically inconvenient to accommodate.
Under stable circumstances, Shakib would be celebrated as a cornerstone of national pride. Under the current administration, he is treated as a liability.
Sport Entangled in State Repression
Sport in Bangladesh has always carried emotional weight, but rarely has it been drawn so directly into political conflict. The interim government’s sweeping crackdown on Awami League members, activists and supporters has created an environment where even athletes are not spared suspicion. More than 300,000 AL-linked individuals have reportedly faced politically motivated cases, and the ban on the party’s political activities has cast a long shadow across public life.
Shakib’s absence thus becomes more than a personal setback. It reflects a national rupture: a country where sporting heroes now fear returning to their own soil because of the government in power.
Shakib Remains Hopeful — and So Do the Fans
Despite years away from the national side, Shakib has kept himself active in franchise cricket across the globe. He says this is intentional — a way to remain ready should an opportunity arise to return home for the farewell he believes he owes the nation.
“I want to play a whole series and retire,” he said. “I am hopeful. I think it will happen.”
That hope is shared by millions of Bangladeshis who grew up watching him lead the team to historic victories. But whether the interim authorities will allow a popular Awami League figure to take center stage in a stadium of tens of thousands remains uncertain.
A Farewell Deferred — but Not Forgotten
For a country where cricket is woven into national identity, denying Shakib a dignified farewell would symbolize far more than a political dispute. It would represent a government unwilling to rise above its vendettas, even when national unity is at stake.
Shakib’s wish is simple. Bangladesh’s political reality is not.
Until the climate shifts — or until democratic processes are restored — the greatest cricketer in Bangladesh’s history remains a guest abroad, waiting to return home for one final innings.
