Shanto says case against Shakib was ‘unexpected’

Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, like many cricketers in the national team, have come out in support of Shakib Al Hasan after the ace all-rounder was named as one of the accused in a murder case.

Amidst talks of whether inclusion of Shakib or other players may become a policy matter, as has been hinted by newly-appointed BCB president Faruque Ahmed, Shakib, the former Awami League lawmaker was named as one of the accused in the murder case over the death of a garment worker during the mass protests on August 5.

The BCB are still to declare what their decision regarding Shakib will be. A legal notice had been sent to BCB regarding the case. The notice also asked BCB to bring Shakib back to the country from abroad for the purpose of proper investigation into the murder case. With a Test match still going on, Faruque had said on Saturday that they did not consider any stance for that moment.

Like Mominul Haque yesterday, Shanto talked about the accusation against one of the best cricketers in the country.

"Shakib bhai is a big asset for our country. For 17 long years he has upheld Bangladesh's name in the world stage. A case against him of that kind is unexpected," Shanto wrote on his official Facebook.

"In the new Bangladesh, we want to see something new. Hope that darkness goes away and new light comes in," he added.

Shakib had put in a terrific spell on Monday, bagging three wickets in Pakistan's second innings on day five to help Bangladesh to a 10-wicket win in Rawalpindi, their first Test win in Pakistan and also first Test win against Pakistan.

Meanwhile Cricketers' Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) has said in a press release that while there can be discussion and criticism of Shakib's involvement in politics, they request that Shakib is not accused solely based on political reasons.

CWAB requested the interim government to be sympathetic to Shakib in regards to the case.