South Africa Opens International Play in Bangladesh Amidst Political Unrest

South Africa will have the honor of participating in the first international matches in Bangladesh following the fall of Sheikh Hasina's despised government. The CSA confirmed this Monday that they had green lit two men's Tests starting next month in Dhaka and Chattogram. This event puts the spotlight on no less than Shakib Al Hasan.

After weeks of protests against the job reservation for liberation war veterans' descendants, the increasingly autocratic rule of Bangladesh's prime minister, Hasina, ended in chaos on August 5. She fled the country, leaving behind massive protests believed to have resulted in hundreds of casualties and thousands more injured.

Shakib, the most prominent and greatest player in Bangladesh, is the focus of his compatriots' obsession with cricket. With the highest runscorer in T20Is, and the third highest in Tests and ODIs, he is Bangladesh's leading wicket-taker in all three formats. Moreover, he is the country's second most capped player in all three forms.

However, Shakib is more than just a cricketer. In November 2023, he joined Hasina's Awami League (AL) party and secured a parliamentary seat in the following January elections. His silence during the violent protests added fuel to the criticism against him.

Last month, Hasina and Shakib were amongst the 147 people charged in relation to the murder of protestor Mohammed Rubel. Despite being in Canada for a match on the day of Rubel’s shooting, Shakib was named in the charge.

As Shakib announced his retirement from T20Is and plans to quit ODIs post the Champions Trophy next year, questions are raised about his future participation in Bangladesh’s’ matches. He has expressed his desire to play his last Test match before relocating permanently to the United States, provided he gets security guarantees from the new government. The upcoming Test series against South Africa brings to the forefront Shakib's career amidst the political unrest in Bangladesh.