Shakib-Al-Hasan is Bangladesh's highest earning cricketer

When glamour and richness is talked about in Cricket, it is usually the Indian Cricketers who take most of the accolades, predominantly because of a gracious BCCI and the immense following of the game in the nation. Yet another subcontinental nation, Bangladesh, are not far behind when it comes to the craze of cricket. The fans regard their players as national heroes. While most of the players just become famous, some have had the opportunity to take the most share of the limelight. Shakib Al Hasan, one of the greatest all-rounders of the cricket world, and perhaps the best player from the cricket-loving nation, has been the mainstay of National Side ever since his first appearance. Bangladesh’s only representative in IPL, Shakib, has had a phenomenal time in the last 12 months both on and off the field.

Shakib was a one of the key players retained by Kolkata Knight Riders for the 2015 edition of the IPL. Shakib, who was contracted by Kolkata Knight Riders for US$425,000 in 2011, received a whopping Rs. 2,80,00,000 for his stay and was the only player from Bangladesh to be awarded a contract. He did not disappoint either and justified the amount paid to him.

Shakib Al-Hasan is a popular face back home and this was evident when he hit the jackpot during the inaugural edition of Bangladesh Premier League. He went for $365,000, but the amount was nearly half of what Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi was sold. Shakib was the top pick among the Bangladeshi players and was picked by Dhaka Gladiators. Come 2015, the third edition of the BPL, and Shakib received the icon player status for Rangpur Riders with a pay amounting to 35 Lakhs (in Bangladeshi Currency). He proved his mettle and justified the high pay with 18 wickets to his name in the season and being one of the top performers of the tournament.

The T20 leagues are always a fascination to watch and after the success of the IPL, BPL and the BBL, Pakistan Cricket Board came up with the idea of Pakistan Super League (PSL). Yet again, the Bangladeshi all-rounder who received the Wisden Magazine’s Test Cricketer of the Year Award in 2009, Shakib bagged a big amount in his kitty. Shakib was named one of the Platinum Players in the league that will kick off in February 2016. Karachi called for the Bangladeshi star in the second round of the Platinum drafts of the five-franchise competition. The Bangladeshi star will receive $140,000 for his inclusion in the Karachi team.

Off the field, he has had a lot of success too. He has endorsed a lot of top brands. Shakib has endorsed top brands like Pepsi, Castrol, Norton Antivirus, Boost, Lifebuoy and Standard Chartered Bank. No wonder, he is currently the richest cricketer of Bangladesh and one of the most affluent overall.

On the performance front, he has always been a top pick. He became the first and the only cricketer in history to attain the number 1 all-rounder position in all formats of cricket (Test, Twenty20 and One Day Internationals). He recently added another accolade to his name during the 3^rd T20I against Zimbabwe. Shakib got his 400th international wicket and he became the sixth person in the history of the game with a double distinction of 8000 runs and 400 international wickets after Sanath Jayasuriya, Kapil Dev, Chris Cairns, Shahid Afridi and Jacques Kallis.

Shakib is currently the top-ranked all-rounder in International Cricket Council (ICC)’s list for both One-Day Internationals(ODIs) and T20Is and is ranked second in the ICC ranking of Test all-rounders. He is also featured in the ICC ODI bowlers’ ranking in the third position.

Shakib currently has a net worth of USD $35 million (INR 250 crore) with earnings from cricket salary endorsements, sponsors, cosmetic, event management and restaurant businesses. Clearly, if anyone from Bangladesh has rich feather hat, then it has to be Shakib Al Hasan.