Shakib Al Hasan signs for three new foreign leagues

Bangladesh cricketer Shakib Al Hasan, who has been staying abroad since the fall of the previous regime led by the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has inked deals for three new foreign leagues.

The Bangladesh allrounder will represent Royal Champs in the Abu Dhabi T10 League, which kicks off on November 18.

He has also joined the Houston Riders for the U.S. Global League, a T20 competition featuring top international players.

And he will also take part in the Indian Haven League, a new T20 tournament set to begin in Srinagar, Kashmir, on October 25, though his team name there has not yet been disclosed.

While Shakib is pursuing cricket in foreign leagues, his international career for Bangladesh remains uncertain due to his political connection with the Awami League, which was ousted following a popular uprising in Bangladesh last year.

Shakib served as a member of the parliament for the Awami League party when they assumed power in early 2024 in an election tainted by allegations of irregularities and boycotts by their political opponents.

Recently, he was involved in a social media clash with Bangladesh’s Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud, who was one of the main leaders of the protest that toppled Hasina.

Asif later said he will not allow Shakib to represent Bangladesh again.

Shakib has played 447 international matches across the formats and scored 14,730 runs with 14 centuries and 100 half-centuries. He also has taken 712 wickets in international cricket with 25 five-fors across the formats. These stats established him as one of the great players of all time in the game.