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

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.

BCB director Asif Akbar insisted that the decision was not merely a symbolic gesture. He confirmed 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.

"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.

"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.

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.

Following that announcement, Shakib failed to receive security clearance to return home and has been living in exile. Recently, the all-rounder expressed his wish to play all three formats in front of his home crowd before officially retiring, 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.

"I saw an interview of his 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… if he wants to focus only on that, as long as he wants and as long as he performs, he can keep playing," Ashraful told Cricbuzz.

"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," he said.

"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 reveal his plans publicly.

"Let's see what happens," Shakib said, without elaborating further, indicating that he is aware of the complexities surrounding a potential return to Bangladesh.

In September last year, Bangladesh's sports advisor Asif Mahmud declared that Shakib would not be allowed to play for the country after he wished former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on her birthday.

Shakib last played Tests against Pakistan and India in 2024. While he was effectively barred from international cricket during that period, it marked the first time a government official publicly confirmed such a ban.

Currently active in various franchise leagues, Shakib has said that he continues his cricketing journey with the hope of returning home sooner rather than later. Staying fit and in shape, he has maintained, remains central to keeping that possibility alive.