December 14, 2024: Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh’s star all-rounder, has been suspended from bowling in all competitions organized by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) following an assessment of his bowling action. The suspension stems from an incident during the County Championship match between Surrey and Somerset in September, where Shakib’s bowling action was reported by the umpires.
The ECB confirmed that Shakib underwent an independent assessment at Loughborough University earlier this month, which revealed that the elbow extension in his bowling action exceeded the 15-degree threshold, which is the limit set under cricket’s regulations for a legal bowling action. As a result, Shakib has been suspended from bowling in all ECB-run competitions, effective from December 10, the date he received the independent assessment’s findings.
To regain the right to bowl, Shakib will need to pass an independent re-assessment of his action. Until then, the suspension will remain in place, which could have implications for his future participation in domestic cricket in England.
Shakib had been performing well in the County Championship, claiming nine wickets for Surrey in Taunton during his first county stint since the 2010-11 season. However, this setback follows a turbulent year for the 37-year-old, which has seen him embroiled in several controversies.
One of the most prominent issues was his role as a Member of Parliament in Bangladesh. His position was recently overturned following widespread protests across the country in July and August. In addition, Shakib missed his farewell Test match against South Africa in Mirpur due to protests that took place both for and against him outside Dhaka. His absence continued as he was dropped from Bangladesh’s ODI squad for the series against Afghanistan and the West Indies. Shakib has not featured in international cricket since Bangladesh’s tour of India.
In his absence, Bangladesh’s cricket team has struggled. They suffered a 2-1 defeat to Afghanistan in the ODI series, and in the recent series against the West Indies, they were whitewashed 3-0, a crushing blow to their ODI aspirations.
Shakib’s suspension from bowling adds another layer of uncertainty to his already challenging year, and his future in the game will likely depend on whether he can address the issues with his bowling action and regain his place in both domestic and international cricket.
