Bangladesh national cricket team captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto said star all-rounder Shakib al Hasan not getting to play his farewell Test at home is "unfortunate" and also informed that everyone in the team feels that a proper goodbye for a great player like Shakib is still left pending.
Left-arm all-rounder Shakib was included initially in the Bangladesh squad for the first Test against South Africa.
The former Bangladesh captain was on his way to Dhaka for his last game in the longer version of cricket but eventually, he was advised not to board the flight from Dubai.
Later, Adviser of Ministry for Youth and Sports, Asif Mahmud informed the media that the government had advised the Bangladesh Cricket Board to stop Shakib from coming to the country due to security concerns.
Shakib, who was also a former Awami League lawmaker, was replaced in the squad by uncapped left-arm spinner Hasan Murad.
The matter has sparked protests from hundreds of fans in front of the BCB headquarters in Dhaka for the last few days.
Both pro- and anti-groups took to the street in front of the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
Both the groups clashed with each other Sunday and later the situation had to be controlled by law enforcement agencies.
“Very unfortunate (Shakib not getting a farewell Test at home). It should have taken place, but we all know why it didn't happen. Whatever the reason, this is very unfortunate. I think everybody in the team feels that this thing (Shakib's farewell) is pending. But I don't want to talk any further on this matter just a day before a Test match,” said skipper Shanto to the media at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium Sunday on the eve of the first Test against the Proteas.
Shanto also informed that the team management is facing the challenge of finding a proper replacement for Shakib.
The statement however, did not go down well with many in the cricketing arena, given that life without Shakib in home Tests is not new for the Tigers for the past six years or so.
Since 2018, Shakib often missed Test matches at home due to injuries and later for serving an International Cricket Council ban.
During this time, the 37-year old from Khulna played 11 out of 22 Tests and scored 672 runs and bagged 35 wickets.
Bangladesh during this period won three, drew one and lost seven games in which Shakib featured.
Two of the three wins were against the West Indies in 2018 and the other was against Ireland last year.
“Of course, he [Shakib] was in our plans. He is one of the best players in the world, not just in Bangladesh. To be honest, we are having trouble finding the combination. It will take time. But everyone is capable and will play their part,” said Shanto.
“It is a challenge to find the right combination [in the absence of Shakib]. We cannot deny that. It will take us [the team] some time to recover from this. But we should trust in the players we have and whoever gets the opportunity [in the playing XI] should play to their best,” he added.
