It was not surprising that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) reverted to a familiar stance, “we want Shakib Al Hasan in the national team,” at a time when it is under increasing pressure for failing to persuade the government about the consequences of missing the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

What followed, however, did little to improve the credibility of that position. The issue arose during a 40-minute news conference following a nearly eight-hour board meeting at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Saturday; yet, the discussion lacked apparent direction or a precise explanation.

“Why are we bringing Shakib’s issue out of nowhere?” a journalist asked BCB media committee chairman Amzad Hossain, who then gained attention for his passionate and incoherent handling of the Q&A session.

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Since the International Cricket Council decided to replace Bangladesh with Scotland in the 2018 ICC T20 World Cup, the spotlight has been squarely on the board meeting. Against this backdrop, the idea of reviving Shakib’s name developed, allegedly with the intention of shifting attention.

Former BCB president Nazmul Hossain has frequently publicly targeted Shakib for criticism, presumably to establish control over one of the game’s most prominent all-rounders, though the practical impact of such remarks was often limited.

A cricketer, speaking on the condition of anonymity, previously told that Nazmul would routinely follow up on such comments by calling players and telling them not to take them personally, explaining that they were intended to manage media pressure rather than reflect true beliefs. According to the player, Shakib was fully aware of this pattern and used it throughout his career, acknowledging the mostly theatrical character of such utterances.

Faruque Ahmed, Nazmul’s successor, has consistently expressed his desire to see Shakib Al Hasan return to the national team.

However, he continuously maintained that the final decision lay with the government, which finally denied Shakib’s return owing to his political identification and affiliation with the dissolved Awami League administration.

Despite this, such statements continued to serve their immediate objective of sparking public debate.

Shakib remained unconvinced. Speaking earlier to, he claimed he wasn’t sure whether the board’s fresh interest was real or motivated by other factors, implying that it was more about his profile than a true reintegration strategy.

“I cannot say whether they are really keen or not because I cannot read other people’s minds,” he said during Faruque Ahmed’s tenure, when asked if the renewed attention felt more symbolic than substantive.

On Saturday (January 24), Amzad Hossain reiterated that the board was serious about bringing Shakib back, citing the player’s own desire to conclude his career in Bangladesh.