Get the latest news and updates from Dawn
DHAKA: The Bangladesh government said on Friday former star cricketer Shakib Al Hasan had no prospect of returning to play after he joined a media event with ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
But Shakib said in a statement he is ready to return from a two-year exile, face trial on charges including murder and play a farewell series if the government guarantees his safety. A former lawmaker for Hasina’s Awami League, the cricketer has been living in the United States since her government was toppled two years ago.
“If I get the clearance from the government that my security will be ensured, I am happy to go back, face the court trial and everything that’s needed to be done,” Shakib said by phone from Sri Lanka, where he is playing franchise cricket.
“I know I haven’t done anything,” he said, giving the most detailed account yet of his two years abroad.
