A Bangladeshi court has issued an arrest warrant for cricket star Shakib Al Hasan for bounced cheques totalling more than $300,000.
He was a member of the Bangladeshi parliament for the Awami League, which was led by Sheikh Hasina. Hasina’s 15-year term as prime minister ended in August, when she fled to India because of deadly protests that started in July.
His links to Hasina made him a target of public anger and he was among dozens facing murder investigations for a deadly police crackdown on protesters during the uprising.
He has not been charged over those allegations.
Has Shakib Al Hasan retired?
Shakib was playing in a domestic Twenty20 cricket competition in Canada when Hasina’s government collapsed and has not returned to Bangladesh since.
Shakib announced his intention to retire from Tests and T20 internationals in September and confirmed that the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, to be held in Pakistan, will be his last tournament in the 50-over format.
However, he was left out of the 15-man squad for the one-day international tournament in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and Dubai next month.
The left-arm allrounder has played 71 Tests, 247 one-day internationals and 129 Twenty20s for Bangladesh, taking a combined 712 wickets.
Last year, a group of fans calling for Bangladesh cricket icon Shakib Al Hasan to play in a farewell Test match were attacked by rival protesters wielding sticks and bamboo before the first Test against South Africa in Dhaka.
