In a striking declaration, the Youth and Sports Advisor of Bangladesh revealed that star cricketer Shakib Al Hasan will no longer be allowed to represent the national team.
During an interview with private broadcaster Channel24 on Monday night, Advisor Asif confirmed his stance, following a recent online altercation with Shakib. He stated that he would direct the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to prevent Shakib—who last represented the national side in 2024—from playing for the country again, citing political grounds for the decision.
“We cannot let him carry the Bangladesh flag,” Asif said. “It won’t be possible for me to allow him to wear the Bangladesh jersey. Maybe I haven’t told the BCB before, but now my clear direction to the BCB would be that Shakib Al Hasan can never again play for Bangladesh.”
The controversy was sparked when Shakib, who held a parliamentary seat for the Awami League from January to August last year, shared a photo alongside former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday, wishing her a happy birthday on Monday. This post triggered a flurry of tense, though indirect, exchanges on Facebook between the celebrated cricketer and the Sports Advisor, with both refraining from mentioning each other by name.
“So someone has finally accepted that it’s because of him that I can never put on the Bangladesh jersey again, because of whom I can’t play for Bangladesh again. Maybe I will return to my motherland one day. Love you, Bangladesh,” Shakib wrote on Facebook.
After the fall of Hasina’s government, Shakib relocated with his family to the United States. Although he will no longer be able to represent his nation, Shakib remains a globetrotter, taking part in various franchise leagues around the world, most recently in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
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