Bangladeshi cricketer Shakib Al Hasan stands as the premier all-rounder of his time, with a record of accomplishments that is only matched by his frequent brushes with discipline and his short-lived political stint under the disliked former leader of his country. Shakib has been instrumental in elevating his team to serious international contention, captivating audiences with both his stellar performances and controversies. He is the sole player to have led the International Cricket Council all-rounder rankings across all three formats concurrently. Now 37, Shakib continues to perform—he claimed three wickets in the second innings as Bangladesh secured their first Test victory over Pakistan on Sunday. Selectors have overlooked his indiscretions and occasional insubordination, considering them the cost of his sporting triumphs, which in 2022 led to his recognition as Bangladesh's greatest athlete by prominent sports journalists.
"Cricket in Bangladesh is split into two periods: before and after Shakib Al Hasan," remarked veteran sports journalist Montu Kayser to AFP last year. "It's akin to before and after Christ. He is the Jesus Christ of Bangladesh cricket." Among the numerous controversies in Shakib's career, his participation in rigged elections under the autocratic former premier Sheikh Hasina has been particularly persistent. A student-led revolution recently ousted Hasina, forcing her to flee to India. Meanwhile, Shakib was in Canada participating in a T20 league when he lost his position as a lawmaker during the uprising and has yet to return home. Along with several other members of Hasina's Awami League, a murder case has been filed against Shakib, accusing him of involvement in the police killing of protesters. Shakib has remained silent on the matter, but his teammates have shown their support.
"As a teammate and a brother, I will stand by him during his tough times," stated veteran batsman Mushfiqur Rahim on Facebook this week. "I do not endorse the baseless accusations against him." Shakib made his international debut at the age of 19 in 2006 as a batting all-rounder against Zimbabwe. By the next year's World Cup, he had already become a star, scoring a fifty against India in a memorable victory. His impressive 7-36 against New Zealand in a losing cause solidified his Test position in 2008. Two years later, he guided Bangladesh to their first ODI series win over a major cricket nation, sweeping New Zealand 4-0 at home. However, the pressures of captaincy early in his career led to his dismissal after a lackluster tour of Zimbabwe in 2011. By 2014, his relationship with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) hit a low point.
Shakib's disciplinary issues included threatening a spectator with a bat and making an obscene gesture to a TV crew, resulting in a three-ODI ban by the BCB. His ongoing dispute with coach Chandika Hathurusinghe and his decision to play in the Caribbean Premier League without BCB approval led to a six-month suspension. This was lifted early after he apologized and vowed to "act more maturely." "Nothing is more painful than being away from cricket," he acknowledged. Shakib marked his return with a century and 10 wickets in a Test against Zimbabwe, joining the elite company of Imran Khan and Ian Botham. In 2017, he scored a century to rescue Bangladesh from a precarious 33-4 to a stunning five-wicket win over New Zealand in Cardiff. Shakib's peak came at the 2019 World Cup in England, where he amassed 606 runs and took 11 wickets, setting a record for an all-rounder in the tournament.
However, controversy continued to follow him. While leading a players' strike for better pay in 2019, the ICC imposed a two-year ban on him for not reporting corrupt approaches by bookmakers. Upon his return, he was reinstated as Test and Twenty20 captain, but in 2022, the BCB compelled him to end a partnership with an offshore betting site. The following year, he attended the opening of a boutique jeweler, despite being informed by Bangladeshi police that the store's owner was a fugitive accused of murder. Kayser compared Shakib to a "king with many thorns in his crown." "But," he added, "the thorns cannot prevent him from ruling his world." Despite calls for his removal, Shakib is set to play in the second and final Test against Pakistan starting Friday in Rawalpindi.
"He [Shakib] will continue to play. We received a legal notice regarding his return and responded affirming his continued participation," BCB president Faruque Ahmed was quoted in Prothom Alo. "Currently, an FIR has been filed, and it is in its initial stages with many steps to follow. Until he is proven guilty, we will allow him to play. The Bangladesh team will travel to India after the Pakistan series, and we want him in that lineup as well. He is our contracted player, and if necessary, we will provide him with legal assistance," he added. Shakib took three wickets as Bangladesh dismissed Pakistan for a mere 146 in the second innings of the first Test, achieving their first victory on Pakistani soil in the traditional format of the game.
