Turning his star sports power to politics, colourful Bangladeshi cricketer Shakib Al Hasan is all but guaranteed to become a ruling party lawmaker with general elections on Sunday boycotted by the opposition.
Better known as the leading all-rounder of his era, the 36-year-old skipper has been on a whirlwind campaign for the ruling party of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The result is barely in question.
Opposition parties withdrew from a vote they said would be neither free nor fair, accusing Hasina of ruling with an iron fist.
Shakib conceded he was not facing any serious obstacle to his election, but told AFP while on the hustings that the contest still made him anxious.
“The competition and challenges are always there, be it a small team or big team,” he said in his hometown Magura, where he is contesting a seat for Hasina’s Awami League.
“Even when we know we will win against a team, we still feel our heart beat before the game.” Shakib’s campaign obliged him to take a temporary leave of absence from cricket.—APP
