Bangladesh's Shakib is retiring from test cricket but he's not sure in which match

KANPUR, India (AP) — Bangladesh cricket great Shakib Al Hasan wants his last test match to be in his Dhaka hometown next month.

He's not sure it will be, though, because he's worried about his safety.

Shakib, who has played for Bangladesh for 19 years, told the selectors and the national cricket board (BCB) this week of his pending test retirement, and his immediate retirement from Twenty20s. He wants to continue in one-day internationals until the Champions Trophy in February in Pakistan.

The hitch is him getting a security clearance from his government if he returns home.

He's in India, playing the ongoing second test against the host in Kanpur.

Shakib was a Member of Parliament under the Awami League-led government until the party was ousted from power in August in the face of nationwide protests. Following the government's fall, many Awami League politicians went into hiding, were arrested, and banned from leaving the country.

Shakib, who reportedly hasn't been in Bangladesh since before the protests, was accused in a murder case related to the protests by the Adabor police station. The BCB has allowed him to continue playing for the national team until proven guilty.

South Africa plans to play two tests in Bangladesh next month, subject to a security clearance, and Shakib wants the first match in Dhaka to be his 72nd and last test.

But his desire for a security guarantee from the BCB can't be fulfilled, board president Faruque Ahmed said this week.

“Shakib's security is not in the board's hand,” Faruque told ESPN. “The board can't provide an individual with personal security. He has to take a decision on that. His security has to come from the highest level of the government.”

Shakib said if he can't get security guarantees for his safety, and receive permission to leave the country, then this week's test against India in Kanpur would be his last.

“I am a citizen of Bangladesh, so I shouldn't have any problem going back to Bangladesh. My concern is my safety and security in Bangladesh,” he said. "My close friends and family members are concerned. I hope things are getting better. There should be a solution to it.

"I am available for the South Africa series but since there's a lot happening back home, everything doesn't depend on me. I have discussed my plans (with the BCB). If there’s a chance, and if I could play, my last test will be in Mirpur (Dhaka). The board is trying to ensure that I can play and feel safe, but at the same time, I should be able to leave the country without a hitch.

“It has been tough for me, while I am focused on the game. There is a case against me. I will be glad to see evidence of it, if it was done properly. Everyone has rights — people know where I was and what I was doing at the time. False allegations are not really giving our country a great outlook. It is not very appropriate.”

The 37-year-old Shakib has been a tremendous all-rounder for Bangladesh across 71 tests, 247 ODIs and 129 T20s. He was ranked the world’s best allrounder for long periods.

“It is the right time to move on and create a place for new players,” he said. "I have played my last T20 in the World Cup (this year). I won’t be playing in the upcoming series against India and the West Indies.

"If I do well in the franchise leagues in the next months, BCB can call me up if they feel I can contribute to the T20 side (for the 2026 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka). Basically, I can see the end of my career in these two formats. I am happy and don’t have any regrets in life. I have enjoyed my cricket career and it is the right time for me as well as Bangladesh cricket.”

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Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan wipes his sweat during a training session ahead of the first cricket test match between India and Bangladesh, in Chennai, India, Wednesday, Sept.18, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Satellite imagery showed that China’s newest nuclear-powered attack submarine sank alongside a pier while under construction, a senior U.S. defense official said Thursday.

The sinking of China's first Zhou-class submarine represents a setback for Beijing as it continues to build out the world's largest navy. Beijing has become increasingly assertive in pursuing its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea, which is crucial to international trade.

Meanwhile, China faces longtime territorial disputes involving others in the region including Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. The United States has sought to strengthen ties to its allies in the region and regularly sails through those waters in operations it says maintains the freedom of navigation for vessels there, angering Beijing.

The submarine likely sank between May and June, when satellite images showed cranes that would be necessary to lift it off the bottom of the river, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details about the submarine loss.

China has been building up its naval fleet at a breakneck pace, and the U.S. considers China’s rise one of its main future security concerns.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Friday he was not familiar with the topic and did not provide any information when asked about it at a Beijing press conference.

The U.S. official said it was “not surprising” that China's navy would conceal it. The submarine's current status is unknown.

The identification of the sunken nuclear submarine was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Thomas Shugart, a former U.S. Navy submariner and an analyst at the Center for a New American Security, first noticed the incident involving the submarine in July, though it wasn’t publicly known at the time that it involved the new Zhou-class vessel.

Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC analyzed by The Associated Press show what appears to be a submarine docked at the Shuangliu shipyard on the Yangtze River before the incident.

An image taken June 15 appears to show the submarine either fully or partially submerged just under the river’s surface, with rescue equipment and cranes surrounding it. Booms surround it to prevent any oil or other leaks from the vessel.

A satellite image taken Aug. 25 shows a submarine back at the same dock as the submerged vessel. It's not clear if it was the same one.

It remains unclear if the affected submarine had been loaded with nuclear fuel or if its reactor was operating at the time of the incident. However, there has been no reported release of radiation in the area in the time since.

China as of last year operated six nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, six nuclear-powered attack submarines and 48 diesel-powered attack submarines, according to a U.S. military report.

News of the submarine's sinking comes as China this week conducted a rare launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile into international waters in the Pacific Ocean. Experts say it marked the first time Beijing had conducted such a test since 1980.

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows what appears to be a sunken Chinese submarine at a shipyard near Wuhan, China, June 15, 2024. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)