The cricketer has largely been absent from the national team due to the country's changing political climate. About a month ago, Shakib expressed his wish to retire from Test cricket on home soil during the South Africa series, but intense political turmoil prevented his return to Bangladesh.
Despite Bangladesh playing series against West Indies and Afghanistan recently, Shakib was notably absent from both tours.
He was also scheduled to represent Chattogram Kings in this year's Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) but couldn’t take the field. Instead, Shakib found himself entangled in multiple legal cases amid the political unrest, with arrest warrants issued against him.
A few weeks ago, Shakib traveled to England to play county cricket for Surrey. However, his bowling action came under scrutiny by umpires. Despite undergoing two assessments, Shakib failed to clear the tests, leading to his exclusion from Bangladesh’s Champions Trophy squad as he could only be considered as a batter.
In a surprising turn, Shakib managed to secure a spot in the DPL despite his legal challenges. How he will navigate these hurdles to take the field in March remains to be seen.
