Bangladesh cricket team all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan banned by ICC handed a two-year ban (with one year of that suspended) after he accepted three charges of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code. Things have gone awry for the senior cricketer, who was Bangladesh’s best player in the ICC World Cup 2019.
Shakib Al Hasan was supposed to be the main figure in the upcoming T20I and Test series against India. However, after being banned, Shakib’s poor run of time continued. It has been a tricky sort of last few weeks for the T20I and Test captain of the Bangladesh cricket team.
According to the ICC, Shakib chose to admit the charges and agreed the sanction with the governing body in lieu of an Anti-Corruption Tribunal hearing. Subject to him satisfying the conditions in respect of the suspended part of the sanction, he will be free to resume international cricket on October 29, 2020.
Here are the three charges accepted by the Bangladeshi cricketer.
- Article 2.4.4 – Failure to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations he received to engage in Corrupt Conduct – in relation to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe Tri-Series in January 2018 and / or the 2018 IPL
- Article 2.4.4 – Failure to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations he received to engage in Corrupt Conduct – in relation to the second approach in respect of the Tri-Series in January 2018
- Article 2.4.4 – Failure to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations he received to engage in Corrupt Conduct – in relation to an IPL 2018 match between Sunrisers Hyderabad v Kings XI Punjab on 26 April 2018.
“I am obviously extremely sad to have been banned from the game I love, but I completely accept my sanction for not reporting the approaches. The ICC ACU is reliant on players to play a central part in the fight against corruption and I didn’t do my duty in this instance,” said the celebrated all-rounder.
Meanwhile, ICC General Manager – Integrity, Alex Marshall said that the cricketer should have reported each of these approaches.
“Shakib Al Hasan is a highly experienced international cricketer. He has attended many education sessions and knows his obligations under the Code. He should have reported each of these approaches,” he said.
The senior cricketer has been making the news of late and things just got worse for him.
Here we analyze how the player is in a new low after being banned by the ICC.
Shakib had led the players’ strike last week against BCB
It was Shakib, who had gone on to lead the players’ strike last week. He alongside other senior cricketers had put forward an 11-point demand to the Bangladesh Cricket Board. They had called off the strike later on after reaching a deal with the country’s governing body over-improved pay packages.
The left-handed batsman Shakib al Hasan banned by ICC had caused a stir with the tour of India being in jeopardy. The players had said they would not play until those demands were met. However, the BCB had to comply with the demands and make sure things were sorted for the betterment of the game.
“We have no problem to comply with what the players want,” BCB President Nazmul Hassan Papon said after an emergency meeting with players. Post BCB’s approval, Shakib had said he was happy with the outcome.
“The board promised to resolve all the matters one by one very soon,” Shakib said. “I hope they will do it in the quickest possible time.”
Bangladesh Cricket Board issued a show-cause notice to Shakib
If one thought the players’ demand steered by the captain was it all, the course of things got murkier as time progressed. Now the BCB went on to issue a show-cause notice to the player for another set of issues.
The player had gone on to violate a central contract clause. Shakib had signed as the brand ambassador of the country’s telecom major ‘Grameenphone’, which is a direct competitor of the team’s sponsor ‘Robi’. Now according to the central contract clause, this is a violation and an angry BCB president had threatened legal action against the country’s best player.
Shakib al Hasan banned by ICC also accused him of causing financial loss to the cricket board by breaching the central contract clause.
However, BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury then said that no legal action will be taken against Shakib. He added that the player will have to explain why he signed the endorsement deal which was a violation of the central contract.
“It’s an internal matter of the board and that’s why there is no need to take any legal action against Shakib. However, he certainly has to explain why he signed an endorsement deal which is in violation of the central contract,” BCB CEO told Bangladesh daily Prothom Aalo.
World T20 dream over for the senior cricketer
The Bangladeshi cricketer’s hopes of representing the nation for the ICC World T20 in 2020 seems to have disappeared after the ban from ICC. The World Cup T2o starts next year from October 18 onwards in Australia. Shakib’s ban ends on October 29. Therefore, Bangladesh’s journey from here on will be without the left-arm spin all-rounder.
Shakib Al Hasan is one one the most celebrated and reputed cricketers across the globe. Besides playing for the Tigers, he also is a freelancer, who has enjoyed success across the globe. With his ban effective, the player won’t be able to play any form of cricket. This means all his T20 assignments across various global leagues have ended for now.
He has played 76 T20Is so far and scored 1,567 runs at 23.74. He has also taken 92 scalps at 20.58 to show his worth as a serious all-rounder.
He will be a big miss for the side in an event like the WT20. Also, he has been Bangladesh’s trump card.
What has the BCB said regarding his ban?
Meanwhile, BCB expressed shock on the behavior of Shakib in failing to report to the ICC.
“While the BCB is shocked and extremely disappointed that an experienced player like Shakib had failed to report corrupt approach on three occasions, at the same time we are pleased that he has cooperated fully with the ICC ACU and has pledged his commitment to its education program,” said BCP president Nazmul Hassan.
Meanwhile, the BCB also lent its support to the player. Hassan added that the body hopes he will come back as a better and wiser cricketer.
“We hope he will come back as a better and wiser cricketer and serve Bangladesh for many more years when his sanction will be over. During the suspension the BCB will continue to support his efforts at returning to cricket.”