He announced his retirement from international cricket in March 2025.
Discarded Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has acknowledged that physical fatigue led him to deliberately chuck during an English County match for Surrey, a decision that prompted the England Cricket Board (ECB) to ban him from bowling.
The former Bangladesh captain was restricted from bowling in all competitions under the ECB after his action was deemed illegal following independent testing at Loughborough University in December last year.
Speaking at the Beard Before Wicket podcast, Shakib revealed that he chucked because he was feeling tired and had hoped that the umpires would give him a warning before being reported.
“I think I was doing it a little bit intentionally because I bowled more than 70 overs (in one match). I never bowled 70 overs in my career in a Test match. I was so tired. 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.”
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Shakib Al Hasan also revealed how the test was undertaken but failed, accepting that the results helped him to improve it and successfully pass the test.
“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’.”
He also failed a second bowling assessment in Chennai, after which BCB selectors ignored him from the Champions Trophy earlier this year. The board later clarified that he remains available to play purely as a batter in both domestic and international cricket.
Shakib Al Hasan, who will soon turn 39, is currently the leading wicket-taker for Bangladesh across formats. He boasts 712 wickets across formats, with the second best being Mashrafe Mortaza’s 389.
The former member of Parliament left Bangladesh last year after Sheikh Hasina’s government was toppled. Since then, he has not featured for Bangladesh across formats and announced his retirement soon after.
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