Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is back in the headlines after recently being cleared of his suspect bowling action.

The country’s premier left-arm spinner has been given the green light to bowl again in competitive cricket, suggesting that his career is not over yet. At one point, his future seemed uncertain after he failed consecutive bowling action tests, which ultimately led to his exclusion from Bangladesh’s Champions Trophy squad.

Shakib officially announced his retirement from T20I cricket during the Kanpur Test in India. At the time, he also revealed his plans to retire from Tests and ODIs—wishing to play his final Test at home against South Africa and end his ODI career after the Champions Trophy.

However, his retirement plan did not go as expected, primarily due to his political affiliations. Since playing in the Test series against India in September-October, Shakib has been absent from international cricket.

Once linked to the now-ousted Awami League government and implicated in a murder case, Shakib reportedly did not receive clearance from the relevant authorities to represent the national team. Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) selection panel maintained that they did not consider him for the Champions Trophy squad solely as a batsman, given that he was barred from bowling in competitive cricket at the time.

Speculation about Shakib’s return intensified after he posted a video on his official Facebook page on March 26, hinting that he was working on his fitness—something he has done before after taking breaks from cricket.

When contacted by Daily Sun, Shakib did not rule out the possibility of a return but refrained from disclosing his plans publicly.

BCB officials also acknowledged that his comeback remains a possibility.

“You cannot say that we (BCB) have ruled out all possibilities regarding his return to the national team,” said a board official on condition of anonymity. “But his return does not depend on us alone. If you look at the past, you will see that government approval is also a factor. If he gets that clearance, he surely has one or two years of cricket left in him.”

The official added, “If he decides to focus on just one format, he can easily play for a couple more years. If [MS] Dhoni can still compete in the IPL, which is highly competitive, at 43, then we can expect Shakib to stick around for some time as well.”

A member of the selection panel echoed similar sentiments.

However, whether Shakib can return to international cricket depends on several factors, most of which are political rather than cricket-related.

Recently, a Dhaka court ordered the seizure of Shakib’s assets in connection with a cheque dishonor case. In December last year, the Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate summoned Shakib and three others in a case filed by IFIC Bank. After he failed to appear in court on January 18, arrest warrants were issued against him and the other accused on January 19.

Given these circumstances, the chances of his return appear slim—unless the government intervenes and grants him clearance. According to sources, Shakib himself is eagerly awaiting approval from the relevant authorities to make a comeback.