Shakib withdraws from Bangladesh squad over security concern

Shakib Al Hasan is Bangladesh's record Test wicket-taker with 246

Retiring Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has withdrawn from the squad for next week's first Test against South Africa amid uncertainty over whether he can return to his homeland because of "a security issue".

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed left-arm spinner Hasan Murad has replaced the 37-year-old, who is set to miss out on a final Test series after announcing his retirement from international cricket last month.

Shakib, a former member of parliament and ex-lawmaker in the government that was ousted by protesters in August, had been discouraged from returning to Bangladesh because of public anger.

"We have been informed that Shakib is unavailable for the first Test," the BCB said.

"He is at the end of his Test career but along with his experience, we still do not have someone of that calibre with both bat and ball to replace him."

The BCB said 23-year-old replacement Murad, who has taken 136 wickets in 30 first-class matches, "has performed consistently" and "has the potential to deliver at this level".

Bangladesh will face South Africa in two Tests, the first of which starts on 21 October in Dhaka.

Shakib is considered one of his country's greatest sportsmen - he is Bangladesh's record Test wicket-taker with 246 in 71 matches and has scored 4,609 runs.

"I was to return home... but now I don't think I can," Shakib told broadcaster bdnews24.com. "It is over a security issue, a matter of my own security."

In January, Shakib became an MP for the then-ruling Awami League party, whose former leader Sheikh Hasina fled the country in August.

He is among dozens from Hasina's party facing murder investigations following a deadly police crackdown on protesters during the uprising.

Shakib apologised in a Facebook post earlier this month for remaining silent during the revolution.

However, Asif Mahmud, who heads the sports ministry, said that "recent protests suggest it wasn't enough" and that to avoid "unwanted incidents" he had advised Shakib not to return.

"This decision was made to ensure the safety of players and to protect the country's image," Mahmud added in a statement.

Bangladeshi media said Shakib was in Dubai but would be heading to the United States.

Shakib was playing in a domestic Twenty20 cricket competition in Canada when the regime collapsed and has not returned to Bangladesh since. He toured Pakistan and India with the Bangladesh team.

The first Test against South Africa in Mirpur, near the capital Dhaka, will be the first international cricket fixture in Bangladesh since crowds stormed Sheikh Hasina's palace.

More than 700 people were killed in the unrest, according to Bangladesh's health ministry.

The second Test will be played in the port city of Chittagong, also called Chattogram, beginning on 29 October.