Dhaka, Bangladesh – In Magura, a sleepy town in southwest Bangladesh, about 168km (104 miles) from capital Dhaka, more than a thousand people are gathered outside a circular-shaped auditorium.
The crisp winter air barely cut short their enthusiasm as they waited for Shakib Al Hasan – their “boy from the hometown” and arguably the biggest sporting icon in the South Asian nation of some 170 million people.
Hasan arrived in a swanky SUV, waved his hand like a seasoned politician, and quickly went inside the auditorium where again a couple of hundred people were waiting for him as he appeared for an interview with a popular YouTuber and talk show host, Rafsan Sabab.
The event was part of a PR campaign ahead of the national election in Bangladesh, to be held on January 7, in which Hasan, still an active player in the national cricket team, is contesting from his hometown constituency for the incumbent Awami League (AL) party.
As the interview began, Sadab asked, with a smile: “Every district of Bangladesh has its own speciality, be it food, garment or a monument. Here in Magura, when I ask anyone about its speciality, they unanimously say: Shakib Al Hasan.”
“Yes, I would have said the same,” Hasan wryly replied. Sadab laughed, so did the audience.
But that cheeky reply perhaps best portrays the 36-year-old cricketer, known for his aggressive style both on and off the ground. That he is often called the best ever athlete Bangladesh has produced also helps.
Hasan, currently the captain of Bangladesh’s one-day team, is ranked the number one all-rounder by the International Cricket Council in two of the three formats of the game simultaneously – one-day internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 – and is ranked third in Test matches.
It is often said that cricket and cinema are the twin obsessions of people in South Asia, with some cricketers turning into superstars and adored by millions of fans. Some cricketers used their popularity to foray into politics, the former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan being the best example.
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