After a wave of anti-government protests toppled his party, Bangladeshi cricket legend and former lawmaker Shakib Al Hasan has stepped back onto the field for the first time. At 37, Shakib was recently granted clearance by Bangladesh's interim government to participate in a two-match Test series against Pakistan, beginning on Wednesday.
Despite earlier demands from protesters to remove cricket players they believed were loyal to the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Shakib took his place in the squad. Sheikh Hasina, who was forced to resign and flee the country earlier this month, led Bangladesh for 15 years. Shakib, revered as one of the nation's greatest sports figures, boasts an impressive record of 4,505 runs in 67 Test matches and holds the title of Bangladesh's leading wicket-taker in Test cricket, with 237 wickets to his name.
In January, Shakib won an uncontested parliamentary seat representing the then-ruling Awami League party. However, he has maintained silence regarding the recent political upheaval that has claimed hundreds of lives in clashes with security forces. Earlier this month, protests erupted in Dhaka against members of the cricket board, whom demonstrators accused of being loyal to Sheikh Hasina. Shakib faced criticism, particularly from former Bangladesh Cricket Board member Rafiqul Islam, who questioned Shakib's silence during the violent crackdown on students.
Islam remarked that Shakib, an icon for many students, should have returned home to explain his lack of protest during the unrest. Despite the criticism, Asif Mahmud, the country’s new de facto sports minister and a 26-year-old student leader, emphasised that the cricket team should be selected based on merit.
As the Test series approached, Bangladesh’s captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, expressed confidence that the political turmoil would not impact Shakib’s performance. Shanto noted that Shakib's extensive experience has equipped him to focus on his role as a cricketer, regardless of his brief foray into politics. He added that the team regards Shakib solely as a cricketer and expects him to deliver a standout performance in the series.
Shakib rejoined the squad in Pakistan last week after participating in the Global T20 League in Canada, where he was met with chants against him by Bangladeshi spectators. Just eight months prior, Shakib had secured a parliamentary seat for the ruling party in his hometown of Magura, in an election that the opposition boycotted.
However, his short-lived political career was abruptly cut short earlier this month due to massive demonstrations against a contentious job quota law. These protests quickly escalated into widespread dissatisfaction with Sheikh Hasina’s authoritarian regime, leading to the dissolution of the ruling Awami League party and the expulsion of its MPs from parliament.
The unrest in Dhaka has disrupted the Bangladeshi cricket team’s training schedule, prompting Pakistan's Cricket Board to invite them to arrive four days early to compensate for the lost preparation time. The two nations are set to face off in two Test matches in August and September.