Shakib Al Hasan cleared the third reassessment test of his bowling action. © Getty Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is a relieved man after his bowling action was finally cleared after passing the third reassessment test in England. It’s been a trying phase for the veteran over the last six months, both on and off the field, with the BCB eventually ignoring Shakib for the Champions Trophy as they didn’t want to pick him as a pure batter. The 37-year-old felt that the whole matter could have been handled in a better way by the BCB. “Look, I don’t have any complaints, but if the communication was better in that case, I would have been happier,” Shakib told Cricbuzz. It is understood that the all-rounder had wished to have a week-long camp with his childhood mentor Mohammad Salahuddin before the appearing for the bowling test that he failed earlier. It meant that he couldn’t get his bowling action cleared in time for the Champions Trophy and with his batting returns reducing in recent times, the selectors weren’t keen on picking him as a specialist batter. The left-arm spinner was suspended from bowling after being reported for suspect bowling action during a County Championship match for Surrey against Somerset in September 2024. Subsequently, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) suspended him following an independent evaluation that declared his action illegal. Shakib then underwent two separate reassessments, first in England and then in India, failing both attempts, following which he was suspended from bowling. Shakib had informed the Board to include him in the Champions Trophy squad as he felt that it would have given him a chance to work with Salahuddin before appearing for the bowling test. However, the BCB conveniently ignored his requests and many inside the cricket fraternity of Bangladesh feel that this eventually prevented Shakib from ending his ODI career after the Champions Trophy, as he desired earlier. Given their forgettable Champions Trophy outing, the BCB would be regretting at not having handled the case better, more so after Shakib passed the bowling test after working extensively with Surrey head coach Gareth Batty for two weeks. Sirajullah Khadem, better known as Nipu in Bangladesh cricket circles, worked closely with Shakib to correct his action throughout this challenging period in England. Nipu, his childhood friend, told Cricbuzz recently that the experienced campaigner reaped the benefit of having perfect preparation ahead of the third test. “The journey wasn’t too difficult, nor was he under a lot of stress. He knew exactly what he had to do,” said Nipu. “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.
