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Shakib Al Hasan set to contest Parliamentary elections after IPL snub

8 months ago
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Shakib Al Hasan

Bangladesh’s versatile all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has started his new inning in politics and is all set to contest in the parliamentary elections of Bangladesh. The ruling Awami League picked the legendary cricketer to contest in the upcoming 12th national elections from the Magura-1 constituency which is his hometown. The Magura-1 constituency is 175 km from the heart of Dhaka city.

Election Nomination

On November 23, Shakib Al Hasan went to the AL president Sheikh Hasina’s Dhanmondi political office and held a meeting with party general secretary Obaidul Quader. The Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader announced the names of the party’s nominees for 298 parliamentary seats, out of 300. Earlier, Shakib sought the nomination of the ruling party from Dhaka-10, Magura-1 and Magura-2.

Popularity Among Youth

Earlier, Awami League joint secretary general Bahauddin Nasim emphasised Shakib’s enormous popularity among Bangladesh’s young people.  Nasim said “Shakib is a celebrity and has great popularity among the country’s youth.” However post the World Cup loss, Shakib was seen hounded by Bangladeshi cricket fans at the airport.

At the same time, the country’s opposition parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), decided to boycott parliamentary elections in order to force Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina into stepping down and allow a neutral executive administration to conduct the elections.

Cricketing Career Vs Political Ambitions

Shakib’s spat with senior player Tamim Iqbal, which occurred shortly before the commencement of the World Cup, received far more attention than the team’s preparations. The spat between two veteran players also had an effect on the overall tone of the dressing room, contributing to the team’s dismal performance in the worldwide spectacle. Shakib is presently in the process of the recovery from a finger injury he encountered during the world cup match against Sri Lanka on November 6. 

Notably, Bangladesh will tour New Zealand to play in two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is. The tour will start from 17 December 2023 onwards. Meanwhile, there is no credible information regarding the participation of Shakib in the tournament.  The pertinent question is whether he will tour New Zealand or participate in political campaigning as a star campaigner for the party is a substantial question for his fans and party cadres.

Future in IPL

Shakib faced the axe from his team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as he was not retained by the team. He will be going for the upcoming IPL 2024 mini-auction. In 2023, the Knight Riders all-rounder was pulled out due to international engagements with Bangladesh, and personal reasons that may not go well with the franchise could be one of the reasons for his release from the team.

Shakib was the last pick at the IPL auction in December last year, where he was snapped up at his base price of INR 1.5 crore. He was previously part of KKR’s title-winning campaigns in 2012 and 2014.

Also Read: World Cup Final Analysis: How India Lost The Game To Aussies

Former Bangladeshi Cricketers in Politics

Shakib is not the first cricketer from Bangladesh to enter politics. Nazmul Hassan, president of BCB, and director Shafiul Alam Chowdhury are both prominent politicians. Previously, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, the former captain of Bangladesh’s national cricket team, was elected legislator from Narail-2 constituency on the Awami League’s candidature. In addition, former national cricket team captain Naimur Rahman Durjoy is an AL lawmaker from Manikganj.

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