After clearing the third reassessment test in England, Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is happy that his bowling motion has finally been cleared. The veteran has had a difficult six months on and off the field, and the BCB ultimately decided not to select Shakib for the Champions Trophy because they did not want to select him as a pure batter. The 37-year-old believed that the BCB could have handled the situation more effectively.
“Look, I don’t have any complaints, but if the communication was better in that case, I would have been happier,” Shakib stated to Cricbuzz.
Before taking the bowling test that he had previously failed, the all-rounder reportedly wanted to spend a week at camp with his childhood coach, Muhammad Salahuddin. The selectors weren’t interested in selecting him as a specialist batter because he couldn’t get his bowling motion cleared in time for the Champions Trophy and his batting returns had been declining recently.
After being cited for questionable bowling behavior during a September 2024 County Championship match between Surrey and Somerset, the left-arm spinner was given a bowling suspension.
He was then suspended by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) after an independent assessment ruled that his activity was unlawful.
After that, Shakib was prohibited from bowling after failing two separate reassessments, one in England and the other in India.
In order to give himself an opportunity to practice with Salahuddin before to his appearance in the bowling test, Shakib had advised the Board to include him in the Champions Trophy team. But the BCB conveniently disregarded his wishes, and many in Bangladesh’s cricket community believe that this ultimately stopped Shakib from terminating his ODI career after the Champions Trophy as he had previously wished.
The BCB would be regretting not handling the situation better given their disappointing Champions Trophy performance, especially now that Shakib passed the bowling test following two weeks of intensive training with Surrey head coach Gareth Batty.
During this difficult time in England, Shakib worked closely with Sirajullah Khadem, who is more well known as Nipu in Bangladeshi cricket circles, to improve his action.
His childhood friend Nipu recently told Cricbuzz that the seasoned campaigner benefited from being well-prepared for the third test.
“He wasn’t under a lot of stress or the voyage was particularly challenging. Nipu said, “He knew exactly what he had to do.”
“I think in the first two attempts, he was in a rush. This time, however, he had the perfect preparation, and as a result, he got his reward (by passing the third test),” he said.
“We trained for four to five hours a day and he bowled extensively ahead of the third test,” he said.
Nipu, who played alongside Shakib, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Tamim Iqbal in the 2006 U-19 World Cup, added that Shakib was initially reported due to fatigue from excessive bowling in the county game.
“I believe he was reported because he bowled a lot in that match. When you push yourself too hard, especially when fatigued, minor changes in your action can occur, leading to problems,” he said.
“He is looking sharp now and seems to have regained all his tricks,” he added.
Shakib, who had never previously been reported for an illegal bowling action in his professional career, underwent his third bowling assessment at Loughborough University on March 9.
It remains to be seen whether the BCB will consider Shakib for selection, particularly after having left the all-rounder out from the central contracts recently.
