Shakib Al Hasan has been suspended from bowling in all competitions run by ICC-approved national federations, both domestic and international, the BCB said in a statement on Sunday. Shakib had been suspended from bowling by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for an illegal action, and this, the BCB said, was the automatic next step. The board also said Shakib will soon appear for reassessment at an accredited testing centre in an effort to have his action cleared and his suspension lifted.
Shakib failed an independent assessment of his action at Loughborough University, an ICC-accredited testing centre in the UK, earlier this month, after being reported for a suspect action during an English county cricket match in September. This prompted the ECB’s action, and, in accordance with clause 11.3 of the ICC’s regulations for illegal bowling actions, when a national federation suspends a player from bowling in its domestic competitions, the suspension is automatically recognised and enforced by the ICC in international cricket and by all national cricket federations in their respective domestic competitions. This applies immediately, upon receipt of the official notice, without the need for further formalities.
“The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has been informed that national team allrounder Shakib Al Hasan has been suspended from bowling in competitions under the jurisdiction of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). As a result, Shakib is also suspended from bowling in domestic cricket competitions outside Bangladesh and in international cricket,” the BCB statement said.
“Should the results of this [reassessment] analysis clear his action, Shakib will be permitted to bowl in international cricket and in domestic cricket competitions under the jurisdiction of all national cricket federations.”
For now Shakib can play as a batter in all forms of domestic and international cricket.
This caps an extraordinary year for the feted Bangladesh allrounder, whose international career is already in a state of limbo stemming from his role as a Member of Parliament in the now-overturned Awami League government after protests in which several hundred civilians – mostly university students – were killed in July and August. He is effectively retired from Tests and T20Is; his wish of a farewell Test at home in Dhaka was thwarted by protesting students.
Shakib is still an active player in ODIs but he wasn’t picked for the Afghanistan and West Indies series in the past four weeks. He is currently playing in the Lanka T10 competition. Shakib did not bowl in the last two matches for Galle Marvels, including the one played on Sunday evening.
