NEW DELHI: Retiring Bangladesh cricketer Shakib Al Hasan has apologized for remaining silent during a student-led revolution but defended his contentious decision to serve the autocratic regime it toppled.
Shakib, 37, is among dozens of figures from ousted premier Sheikh Hasina’s party facing murder investigations for a deadly police crackdown on protesters during the summer uprising.
The former captain had been elected as a lawmaker earlier this year and served until parliament was dissolved after Hasina’s August resignation and exile to neighboring India at the peak of the unrest.
In a long note posted on his official Facebook page late Wednesday, Hasan said he was “sincerely apologetic” for not speaking up during the protests.
“I pay my respects to all the students who sacrificed their lives,” the note said.
“While nothing can fill the void of losing a child or a brother, I sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt by my silence. I too would have been upset if I were in your place.”
More than 700 people were killed in the unrest leading up to Hasina’s ouster, according to Bangladesh’s health ministry.
Shakib was playing in a domestic Twenty20 cricket competition in Canada as the regime collapsed and has not returned to Bangladesh since.
But he has toured Pakistan and India with the Bangladeshi team with the approval of the interim government established to govern the country after Hasina’s departure.
Shakib’s election to parliament in January came after a poll boycotted by Hasina’s opponents and criticized by observers as unfree and unfair.
He said he had decided to contest the vote because he wanted to “contribute to the development of my hometown.”
“It is difficult to directly play a part in the development of your area in Bangladesh if you don’t have a designated position,” he wrote.
Shakib announced his retirement from international cricket last month but said then that he wanted to play one last Test series at home, with South Africa slated to tour later this month.
He said in his Facebook post that he wanted the opportunity to “say goodbye” to all of his fans.
“You all know that I will soon be playing my last match,” he said. “I hope — not just hope but believe — that at my farewell hour, you will all be with me.”

NEW YORK: The New York Mets, fueled by Francisco Lindor’s grand slam, beat Philadelphia to advance in the Major League Baseball playoffs on Wednesday as the Los Angeles Dodgers stayed alive with an 8-0 victory over San Diego.

The Mets beat the Phillies 4-1 to complete a 3-1 triumph in their best-of-five National League division series, their latest come-from-behind victory sending them into the NL Championship Series against either the Dodgers or Padres.

The Dodgers, down 1-2 and facing elimination in San Diego, were fueled by homers from Mookie Betts, Will Smith and Gavin Lux as they forced a decisive Game 5 in Los Angeles on Friday.

Betts got things started, staking Los Angeles to a 1-0 lead with a first-inning homer that sailed into the Padres bullpen in left center field.

Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani drove in a run with a two-out single in the second, chasing San Diego starting pitcher Dylan Cease. Betts then smacked a run-scoring single off reliever Bryan Hoeing.

Smith piled on in the third with a two-run home run off Hoeing, who had given up a lead-off double to Max Muncy, and the Dodgers led 5-0 through three innings.

Muncy scored again on Tommy Edman’s sacrifice fly in the seventh and Gavin Lux jumped on the first pitch from Padres reliever Wandy Peralta to push the score to 8-0.

Dodgers starting pitcher Ryan Brasier and seven relievers combined to keep San Diego’s potent offense in check.

In New York, the Mets had left the bases loaded in both the first and second innings as Philadelphia starting pitcher Ranger Suarez kept them scoreless through 4 1/3 gritty innings.

New York trailed 1-0 and had loaded the bases again with no outs in the sixth when Lindor came to the plate against Phillies reliever Carlos Estevez.

Lindor punched a 99 mph fastball 398 feet over the wall in center field, scoring Starling Marte, Tyrone Taylor and Francisco Alvarez.

“I was just trying to get a good pitch to hit and bring one run in and it worked out and went over the fence,” Lindor told Fox television. “I wasn’t trying to be the guy.

“I was just trying to keep the momentum that the guys had,” added Lindor after the Mets booked their first NLCS appearance since 2015.

The New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers edged closer to advancing in the American League.

Giancarlo Stanton hit a game-winning solo home run in the eighth inning to lift the Yankees to a 3-2 victory over the Royals in Kansas City for a 2-1 lead in their AL division series.

Stanton drove in the game’s first run with a double in the fourth inning. The Yankees took a 2-0 lead on Juan Soto’s sacrifice fly in the fifth, but the Royals tied it up in the bottom of the frame.

Cue Stanton, who belted a pitch from left-handed reliever Kris Bubic 417 feet to put the Yankees back in front.

“This is what I came here for,” Stanton said of his 12th career post-season homer. “You’re not always going to be successful, but (you’ve) just got to keep working and put yourself in the best opportunity.

The Yankees will try to close out their series on Thursday, when the Tigers will try to eliminate the Cleveland Guardians.

“We need to wrap it up tomorrow, no wiggle room, and we’ve got to get it done,” said Stanton, who finished with three hits, drove in two runs and stole a base.

In Detroit, Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson drove in runs for the Tigers in a 3-0 home victory over the Guardians that put the Tigers up 2-1 in their series.

The Tigers, who missed the playoffs the past nine years, played their first post-season home game since 2014 before a record crowd of 44,885.

They opened the scoring in the first inning when Parker Meadows singled then scored on Green’s single.

Rogers delivered a double in the third and scored on Matt Vierling’s sacrifice fly and Torkelson doubled in a run in the sixth.