Ashraful urges Shakib to play till 2027 ODI WC as BCB plans his return

FE Team | Published: January 30, 2026 22:52:02

Bangladesh batting coach Mohammad Ashraful said that if Shakib Al Hasan manages to play for Bangladesh again, he should aim to represent the country at the 2027 World Cup. Bangladesh's ace all-rounder Shakib is back in the news after the BCB announced that it is looking to bring him back in the coming days, reports Cricbuzz.
While the move appeared to suggest that the board was playing the Shakib card amid the World Cup fallout, BCB director Asif Akbar insisted that the decision was not merely a symbolic gesture.
Asif confirmed to Cricbuzz on Friday that the board has been in regular touch with Shakib regarding a 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. The Test matches of the tour will 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 on Friday when his attention was drawn to the issue.
"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," he said.
"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, Ashraful holds a different view.
Recently, former Bangladesh captain Shakib had taken 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, Shakib announced his immediate retirement from T20Is and informed the BCB of his desire 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 wish 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 return to international cricket, he should reconsider his plans and instead target the 2027 World Cup.