'I chucked intentionally': Shakib al Hasan's shocking confession on bowling ban

NEW DELHI: Out-of-favour Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has revealed that physical fatigue led him to deliberately chuck during an English County match for Surrey — a decision that eventually resulted in his ban from bowling. The left-arm spinner was barred from bowling in all competitions under the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) after his action was found illegal during independent testing at Loughborough University in December last year.



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The issue surfaced when umpires questioned his action during a first-class fixture for Surrey against Somerset in Taunton, where he bowled nearly 65 overs across two innings.




"I think I was doing it a little bit intentionally because I bowled more than 70 overs (in one match)," Shakib said on the Beard Before Wicket podcast.


"I never bowled 70 overs in my career in a Test match. I was playing that four-day match for Surrey against Somerset in Taunton. I was so tired."


He added that he hoped for a warning before being reported.


"I played back-to-back Test matches in Pakistan. We won that series and then I went to play those four-day matches. The only thing I was thinking the umpire could have done was just warn me first, at least. But it is in the rules, so they had the right. I didn't complain."


Shakib revealed that he initially failed the correction test before working on his action.


"I went to do the test, I failed. And then I saw my test. I was like, 'okay, so these things are happening'. Then I had to train for a couple of weeks so I went back to Surrey again and they were kind enough to help me. I did two sessions and I was back to normal. I was like, 'it's so easy'."


Shakib, who will soon turn 39 and is a former Member of Parliament, left Bangladesh last year after Sheikh Hasina’s government was toppled. Since then, he has retired from Test cricket and has not featured in white-ball squads.


He also failed a second bowling assessment in Chennai, after which BCB selectors omitted him from the Champions Trophy. The board later clarified that he remains available to play purely as a batter in both domestic and international cricket.



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