Shakib Al Hasan fails bowling action reassessment test in Chennai, suspension continues

“Consequently, the player’s existing suspension from bowling in international cricket following the initial independent assessment at the testing centre of Loughborough University in the UK, also remains in place,” BCB said in its statement. “A successful reassessment is required for the bowling suspension to be lifted. While Shakib is currently unable to bowl, he is eligible to continue playing as a batsman in all forms of domestic and international cricket.”

With the provisional squad for the Champions Trophy set to be picked by January 12, Shakib’s chances remain unclear after his bowling suspension.

Shakib was earlier investigated for his action after his country club Surrey’s loss to Somerset in September. This was the only match he played for the county side where he scored 12 runs in the 1st innings and 0 in the second. While it was initially understood that the veteran all-rounder was only barred from bowling in English competitions, the BCB clarified that the ban was applicable globally under the aegis of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) rules.

It was the first instance since his international debut in 2006 that Shakib’s bowling action has come under scrutiny. The left-arm all-rounder holds the unique double of being the only cricketer to record over 14000 runs and bag 700-plus wickets. Shakib had announced his retirement from Tests and T20Is — his plan to play a final Test on home soil in the recently concluded series against South Africa was ruined by personal security concerns — but he has said he still hoped to play the Champions Trophy next year for Bangladesh.

Shakib’s last competitive match was on November 30, captaining the Bangla Tigers in the Abu Dhabi T10 league. He remained unbeaten on 0 while bowling two wicket-less overs for 12 runs.