Shakib Al Hasan should target 2027 World Cup if he returns, says Mohammad Ashraful

Bangladesh batting coach Mohammad Ashraful stated that if Shakib Al Hasan manages to make a return to international cricket, he should aim to represent the country at the 2027 World Cup. The Bangladesh all-rounder has been back in the spotlight after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced that it is exploring the possibility of bringing him back in the coming days.

While the development initially appeared to suggest that the board was turning to Shakib in the wake of recent World Cup disappointment, BCB director Asif Akbar clarified that the move was not merely symbolic. Asif confirmed that the board has been in regular contact with Shakib regarding a structured comeback plan and is targeting his return ahead of the home series against Pakistan.

Bangladesh are scheduled to host Pakistan for a three-match ODI series on March 12, 14 and 16, with the Test matches of the tour set to be played later in May. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had earlier proposed splitting the tour into two phases due to the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

“We are communicating with Shakib on a regular basis and he is keen to play and if everything goes according to our plan we are hoping to bring him back before the home series against Pakistan,” said Asif as quoted by Cricbuzz.

“He (Shakib) is just concerned about his security and the harassment cases lodged against him and the government is checking that. These are not under our jurisdiction (his cases) but we took a decision – among the 25 BCB board members, around 23 of us were present and almost all unanimously wanted Shakib in the team. At the same time, our president was given the responsibility to discuss the matter with the government – that we want Shakib, and the government should look into his legal issues. That’s all, nothing more,” he added.

While BCB officials have indicated that, if everything goes according to plan, Shakib could return in March to feature in the home series against Pakistan. Recently, Shakib took a U-turn on his Test and T20I retirement plans. Last year, on the eve of the second Test against India in Kanpur in September 2024, he announced his immediate retirement from T20Is and informed the BCB of his intention to retire from Test cricket at the end of the subsequent home series against South Africa in Mirpur, subject to security clearance.

Following that announcement, Shakib failed to receive security clearance to return home and has been living in exile since the fall of the Awami League government. A Member of Parliament under the previous regime, he did not play international cricket for over a year. Recently, the all-rounder expressed his desire to play all three formats in front of his home crowd before officially retiring from international cricket, and the BCB’s move appears to be aligned with that direction. Ashraful, however, believes that if Shakib does make a return to international cricket, he should reconsider his plans and instead target the 2027 World Cup.

“I saw an interview where he said that he wants to retire from Bangladesh after playing all formats. But I personally think that in today’s cricket, if you play only one format – like Mushfiqur is now playing only Tests… if he wants to focus only on that, as long as he wants and as long as he performs, he can keep playing,” Ashraful said.

“Since there is a World Cup coming after another year [2027 ODI World Cup]… if Shakib wants to continue only ODI cricket for Bangladesh up to the 2027 World Cup, his age will be around 37-38. And with the way workload is managed in modern cricket, playing up to 40-42 is not an issue at all. That would be good because he is fit, and he is playing all the franchise tournaments. It’s not like he is sitting at home. Since he plays all franchise leagues, and if for Bangladesh he continues only ODIs with World Cup planning, then it will be good for everyone,” he added.

When contacted after the BCB announced last week that it was keen to bring him back, Shakib was reluctant to publicly reveal his plans and suggested that the matter was beyond his control.

In September last year, Bangladesh’s sports advisor Asif Mahmud stated that Shakib would not be allowed to represent the country after he wished former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on her birthday. Shakib last featured in Test cricket against Pakistan and India in 2024. While he was effectively sidelined from international cricket during that period, it marked the first instance of a government official publicly confirming such a restriction.

Shakib was also reported for a suspect bowling action following his county stint with Surrey in 2024 and was subsequently suspended. He later revealed that excessive bowling had taken a physical toll on him and that he had bowled with an illegal action, partly intentionally. After failing his first assessment, he was eventually cleared to resume bowling.

Currently active in various franchise leagues around the world, Shakib has stated that he continues his cricketing journey with the hope of returning home sooner rather than later. He has emphasised that by maintaining his fitness and staying in shape would be crucial to keeping that possibility alive.