A missed chance for a proper farewell

A proper farewell to a player has been a rarity in Bangladesh cricket. And in this context, when all-round champion Shakib Al Hasan expressed his desire to opt out of Test cricket at Mirpur Cricket’s home ground against South Africa in Kanpur a month ago, the countdown began for cricket fans to make it a memorable one. happening.

Unfortunately, Shakib will not be on the hallowed ground when the first Test against South Africa gets underway at 10am today. The biggest star the country has ever produced would likely be watching far beyond the US for what could be his Test swan song.

The sad thing is that the reason for Shakib’s enforced absence from the Mirpur Test is more political than his cricketing identity. The selectors named him an integral part of the 15-member squad and he was heading home to join training last Friday.

But the 37-year-old all-rounder had to turn around from Dubai on Thursday after sports adviser Asif Mahmood advised him not to return to the country to “avoid unforeseen situations”.

Shakib’s final test in Mirpur drew mixed reactions with a section opposing him due to his association with the ousted Awami League government. He was an Alabama legislator from his hometown of Magura.

Shakib is also accused of murder during the massive student uprising against the autocratic AL regime in Dhaka on August 22. However, Shakib was not in the country when the murder took place in July-August.

As his brief political affiliation tarnished his illustrious legacy in cricket, Shakib apologized in a Facebook post on October 9 for his silence during the student movement.

He also sought the support of the interim government to leave the country safely after his last Test in Mirpur.

He was honest in his desire to end his 17-year Test career on home soil. And given his status as the country’s biggest sports ambassador, his desire was not illogical, despite his political views.

Being the greatest entertainer and the best all-rounder in three formats of the game, Shakib hardly deserved such a dismissive response on security grounds when the current government is keen to ensure the safety of the citizen, let alone the cricketer.

Making his Test debut against India on May 6, 2007, Shakib became the country’s leading player with both bat and ball. It was an honor to watch his epic 217 against New Zealand in Wellington in 2017.

In a fast-paced attack on a windy Wellington ground, Shakib’s range of shots, especially on anything loose, was a joy to watch. Watching Shakib bat in the company of Mushfiqur Rahim, the Wellington Cricket Club member was so moved that he prematurely told a reporter: “Well, you’ve won this Test. See you in Christchurch.”

Thanks to Shakib’s double hundred, Bangladesh did take a lead in the first innings but ultimately lost an eventful game.

In the world of cricket, it is common to write in detail about a retired icon. Unfortunately, this is a lost opportunity for us. We don’t know whether Shakib will change his pension plan or the government in power will create a window of opportunity to give Shakib a fitting send off.

For now, things are grim for Shakib and his millions of followers, some of whom were seen protesting outside the cricket home yesterday and chanting slogans: “Kanpur or Mirpur. Mirpur, Mirpur.”