Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Shakib bats for career in politics and cricket

The 36-year-old skipper has been on a whirlwind campaign for the ruling party of prime minister Sheikh Hasina

Shakib bats for career  in politics and cricket

TURNING his star sports power to politics, Bangladeshi cricketer Shakib Al Hasan is all but guaranteed to become a ruling party lawmaker with general elections on Sunday (7) being boycotted by the opposition.

Better known as the leading allrounder of his era, the 36-year-old skipper has been on a whirlwind campaign for the ruling party of prime minister Sheikh Hasina.


The result is barely in question.

Opposition parties withdrew from a vote they said would be neither free nor fair, accusing Hasina of ruling with an iron fist.

Shakib conceded he was not facing any serious obstacle to his election, but said while on the hustings that the contest still made him anxious.

“The competition and challenges are always there, be it a small team or big team,” he said in his hometown Magura, where he is contesting a seat for Hasina’s Awami League party.

“Even when we know we will win against a team, we still feel our heart beat before the game.”

Shakib’s campaign obliged him to take a temporary leave of absence from cricket.

He skipped a New Zealand tour where the team has shone without him, making history with their first ODI and Twenty20 wins against the Black Caps on the hosts’ soil.

Instead, he has been pounding the streets all day, surrounded by cheering party loyalists and boys keen to meet their sporting hero.

But Shakib bristled at the suggestion that he would not be able to balance his duties as a lawmaker and a cricket captain.

“Did I retire?” he asked. “If I haven’t retired, then where does this question come from?”

Dressed in a traditional white tunic, he lobbed tennis balls into excited crowds as teenagers broke through security cordons to pose for selfies.

But while the crowds out to meet him were cheering, the few thousand who gathered were relatively small for a sporting star of his stature.

Shakib is the only person to have been ranked the number-one allrounder in all three formats simultaneously by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

He was a teenager when he was recruited to the country’s premier sports academy and was just 19 when he made his international debut in 2006 as a batting all-rounder.

By the following year, he was already a star when he hit a fifty in a match against India in the World Cup – a victory still spoken of reverentially by Bangladeshi fans.

However, Shakib has also garnered a reputation for ill-discipline, with a rebellious streak that once saw him threaten a spectator with a bat, and he earned a three-match ban after making a lewd gesture to a television crew.

But his focus for now is the election, urging people to “work together” and to offset the impact of the boycott by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

Police have arrested opposition officials and activists en masse over charges of violence following months of protests that have left at least 11 people dead. The BNP says thousands of its leaders and activists have been detained, effectively snuffing out credible opposition in the polls.

For Shakib, what matters is not criticism of Hasina’s rights record but rather Bangladesh’s impressive economic growth over her tenure.

“I think Sheikh Hasina is a role model in the world, especially in a country like ours where there are plenty of problems,” he said.

Cricket’s popularity in south Asia has fashioned the sport’s top talent into some of the region’s biggest celebrities, and Shakib follows other captains who leveraged their stardom on the pitch into political careers.

India’s Sachin Tendulkar, who still holds the all-time Test run record, took a seat in India’s parliament months before announcing his retirement.

Imran Khan, who led Pakistan during their 1992 World Cup win, had a tumultuous term as prime minister of his country before his ouster last year.

Shakib batted away suggestions he hoped to follow in Khan’s footsteps, saying he was focused on his current aspirations and not “future dreams”.

He hopes his sporting appeal will encourage people to vote for him as a candidate, saying he was ready for a new challenge.

“When I started playing cricket, I never dreamed that I would play cricket for 20 years,” he said. “As time passes, the dream will change accordingly. If one target is fulfilled, then I can think about the next”.

More For You

Prabhsimran-Singh-Getty

Prabhsimran Singh scored 69 off 34 balls.

Getty Images

Punjab secure second IPL win with Prabhsimran’s quickfire 69

Wicketkeeper-batsman Prabhsimran Singh struck 69 off 34 balls as Punjab Kings defeated Lucknow Super Giants by eight wickets on Tuesday, securing their second win of the IPL season.

Chasing a target of 172, Punjab reached the total with nearly four overs to spare. Captain Shreyas Iyer remained unbeaten on 52 off 30 balls.

Keep ReadingShow less
IPL 2025: RCB vs GT – Bengaluru Braces for High-Voltage Battle

Out of the 5 encounters between the two teams, RCB has won 3, while GT has secured 2 victories so far

Getty

IPL 2025 - RCB vs GT: Bengaluru prepares for a high-voltage encounter

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is set to heat up as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) takes on Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 14th match of the season at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on April 2nd. This exciting encounter brings together two teams in top form, with both having a win and a loss under their belt. However, RCB, with their unbeaten record so far in the tournament, enters the contest with more confidence.

RCB’s form and strength

RCB has been nothing short of dominant in their first two matches of the season. They have put on stellar performances, especially with their commanding victories over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). In their last match against KKR, RCB chased down a target of 175 runs with ease, reaching the target in just 16.2 overs with seven wickets to spare. Their victory over CSK was even more impressive, as they handed the three-time champions their biggest home defeat in terms of runs. With two wins and a positive net run rate of +2.266, RCB’s well-balanced squad, including Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Josh Hazlewood, is primed for another thrilling victory.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lucknow Hosts Punjab in First Home Game of the Season

Fans can expect a nail-biting finish

Getty

IPL 2025 - LSG vs PBKS: Lucknow to host Punjab in first home game of the season

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 continues to build momentum, and on April 1, fans can expect a thrilling encounter as Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) host Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. This exciting fixture marks LSG's first home game of the season, and with both teams coming off strong performances, the match promises to be an intense showdown.

LSG, led by the young and dynamic Rishabh Pant, have had a mixed start to the season, with one win and one loss. In contrast, PBKS, under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, will be looking to maintain their winning streak after their solid victory in their opening game. The stage is set for a thrilling battle, and all eyes will be on the key players who could turn the tide.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ashwani-Kumar-Getty

Kumar’s 4-24 helped restrict Kolkata to 116, which Mumbai chased down comfortably with more than seven overs to spare. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Ashwani Kumar’s four-wicket haul helps Mumbai secure first IPL win

MUMBAI INDIANS secured their first win of the IPL season on Monday, defeating Kolkata Knight Riders by eight wickets, with debutant medium pacer Ashwani Kumar playing a key role.

Kumar’s 4-24 helped restrict Kolkata to 116, which Mumbai chased down comfortably with more than seven overs to spare.

Keep ReadingShow less
mitchell-starc-getty

Starc, the Australian left-arm pacer, returned figures of 5-35 as Delhi bowled out Hyderabad for 163. (Photo: Getty Images)

Starc’s five-for, Rana’s 81 power Delhi and Rajasthan to IPL wins

MITCHELL STARC picked up his first five-wicket haul in T20 cricket, while Nitish Rana’s quickfire 81 off 36 balls helped Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals secure wins in the IPL on Sunday.

Starc, the Australian left-arm pacer, returned figures of 5-35 as Delhi bowled out Hyderabad for 163. Delhi chased the target comfortably, winning by seven wickets with four overs to spare, marking their second consecutive victory in the tournament.

Keep ReadingShow less