Bangladesh Cricket Board president Faruk Ahmed said there is no bar on cricketer Shakib al Hasan to continue playing cricket for the country as long as he is not proven guilty of any crimes.
The statement from the new BCB boss has come on the back of a murder case filed against Shakib who was a member of the parliament of the fallen Sheikh Hasina government.
A murder case was filed against Shakib and 146 others at the Adabor Police Station on August 22 in relation to the death of a garment worker Rubel during the mass protests against Hasina regime.
Later a notice was served to the BCB seeking former MP and cricketer Shakib’s removal from the national cricket team and to bring him back to the country for the investigation of a murder case filed against him.
“It's an FIR (against Shakib). There are a lot of legal procedures left to prove someone guilty following the filing of FIR. At this moment there is no bar on Shakib to continue playing,” said the new BCB chief to a leading news outlet Tuesday.
“We have responded to the legal notice which was served to us and we have said the same thing (no bar on Shakib playing) there too,” Faruk explained regarding the legal notice.
The second and final Test match between hosts Pakistan and Bangladesh is set to start this Friday in Rawalpindi.
Bangladesh are leading the series, that is part of the World Test Championship, by 1-0 having registered a historic 10-wicket win in the first game.
Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib was ineffective with the bat but finished the match with four wickets.