Shakib Al Hasan's hopes of playing international cricket for the last time have taken a major hit after his bowling action was ruled illegal in an independent re-evaluation test conducted at the Sri Ramachandra Center for Sports Science, Chennai, India.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has given the details of Shakib's failure to re-evaluate his bowling action in Chennai and revealed that the all-rounder will remain suspended from bowling in all tournaments. Earlier, Shakib failed the initial bowling tests conducted at Loughborough University, United Kingdom.
His action was ruled illegal while he was playing a match in County cricket in England. After those results, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) suspended him from bowling and the ban continued in all tournaments as well.
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Shakib Al Hasan's bowling was ruled illegal again
The BCB released a statement revealing the details of Shakib Al Hasan's recent re-evaluation of his bowling action in Chennai. The board maintained that the all-rounder must have a successful re-evaluation to resume bowling, but also stated that he can continue to play as a batsman.
“Consequently, the bowler's existing suspension from international cricket following the initial independent assessment at the Loughborough University Test Center in the UK also remains in place,” the BCB said.
The statement further added: “A successful re-evaluation is required for the bowling ban to be lifted. Although Shakib is currently unable to play, he is eligible to continue playing as a batsman in all forms of domestic and international cricket.”
Shakib's Champions Trophy chances are hit
Shakib Al Hasan's inability to bowl will affect his chances of being selected in the Bangladesh squad for the Champions Trophy. A member of the BCB selection panel confirmed that his chances of playing in the tournament are not high if he plays alone as a batsman.
The source also mentioned that BCB is preparing the team without two of the biggest names in cricket, Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal. He believes that Shakib needs to give a third revaluation and pass it successfully to be considered for selection.
“If he (Shakib Al Hasan) doesn't bowl, the chances (of playing in the Champions Trophy) are slim. “Tamim (Iqbal) is sorted (announcing retirement) and Shakib has to come after giving the third test (bowling re-evaluation) and I have doubts about his chances in the tournament,” the unnamed source told Cricbuzz.
“So you can say we are preparing the team without them (Tamim and Shakib) as we will not think about Shakib if he is not bowling. If BCB feels he can come after the test, we can go for the replacement as we have time,” he added.
Tough last few months for Shakib Al Hasan
Shakib Al Hasan last played an international match in September 2024 against India in a Test match at Kanpur. He has since missed Bangladesh's ODI series against Afghanistan in the UAE and an away ODI series in the West Indies.
The veteran left-hander has already announced his T20I retirement. He declared that he would play his last Test against South Africa in Dhaka, but could not make it to his country, citing security concerns due to protests against him by a group of students.