BCB President Faruk Ahmed has stated that the board will make every effort to field the left-handed all-rounder in the Champions Trophy, scheduled to take place in Pakistan this coming February.
Faruk Ahmed made these remarks on Friday (January 3) while addressing the press box at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium regarding Shakib’s participation.
Faruk Ahmed said, “The BCB will make its best efforts to include Shakib in the Champions Trophy. The board will wait until the last moment for him. The BCB will discuss the matter with Shakib and the government.”
Shakib’s issue is not solely under BCB’s jurisdiction; it also involves government policymakers. This is why the BCB President cannot provide a clear statement on Shakib’s participation. The BCB must secure the government’s approval before making a decision.
He added, “Regarding Shakib, I previously spoke based on directives from the ministry. The ministry had instructed us to announce that Shakib would play, and they assured us that the government would address any issues he might face.
However, when the matter of a security risk arose, the plans were halted. Since the Champions Trophy will take place abroad, a decision will be made after discussions with the selectors during the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).”
He further stated, “We will continue to make every effort to ensure Shakib can play. We will discuss the matter with him to determine if he is able to participate.”
Faruk Ahmed also addressed Nazmul Hossain Shanto stepping down as the captain of the T20I team. The BCB President revealed that Shanto personally informed him of his decision to relinquish T20I captaincy. However, Shanto did not disclose the reasons behind his decision. Despite stepping down from T20I captaincy, Shanto remains the captain of the ODI and Test teams for Bangladesh.
Faruk Ahmed remarked, “Shanto told me himself that he wanted to step down as captain. However, he is still our captain for ODIs and Tests and one of our key players. Shanto will remain Bangladesh’s captain until the Champions Trophy.”
