Abu Dhabi: Shakib Al Hasan will contemplate his return to One Day International (ODI) cricket for the Bangladesh national team once the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament concludes. The allrounder is captaining the Bangla Tigers in the tournament, which commenced today. During a captains' press conference held in Abu Dhabi yesterday, Shakib responded with a cheeky smile when asked about his potential ODI return, stating, "I will think about it (ODI return) after this tournament." According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Shakib's Bangla Tigers are set to face Samp Army in their opening match, with the tournament's final scheduled for December 2. Shakib's Test career appeared to end abruptly after he missed the South Africa Test at home due to concerns over public backlash related to his political involvement with the Awami League Government, which was ousted in a student-led mass uprising. Previously, during the Kanpur Test in India, Shakib mentioned that if he were unable to play the South Africa Test, the Kanpur Tes t would be his last. Shakib had earlier announced his retirement from T20 cricket but expressed his wish to continue in the ODI format until the 2025 Champions Trophy. However, he was unavailable for the ODI series against Afghanistan. His last ODI appearance was against Sri Lanka during the 2023 World Cup in India. Currently, the Bangladesh team is in the West Indies for a full bilateral series, which includes all three formats of cricket. While the team is preparing for the Test series, the three-match ODI series is set to begin on December 8. Apart from these ODIs against the West Indies, Bangladesh has no other ODI series scheduled before the Champions Trophy. Playing in these three ODIs seems crucial for Shakib if he intends to be available for the Champions Trophy. Despite this, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has not yet clarified his participation in the West Indies series or the Champions Trophy, and Shakib himself has remained silent on the matter. When asked about his plans for the 2025 Champi ons Trophy, Shakib said, "All focus on this tournament (at this moment)." However, Shakib elaborated on the Bangla Tigers' ambitions for the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament, stating, "The plan for the tournament is up in the sleeve, we can't reveal it publicly." He added that the team's goal is to win the trophy, acknowledging the strength of the competition by saying, "All the teams are really strong here and they will try to be champions. We have the same goal as well. We'll try our best. I think we have a well-balanced side."
