Shakib Al Hasan Admits to Bowling with Illegal Action During County Stint

Shakib Al Hasan's Controversial Bowling Action

New Delhi, December 8: Shakib Al Hasan, the former captain of Bangladesh, has disclosed that he intentionally bowled with an illegal action during his time with Surrey in 2024, which led to him being reported for a suspected illegal bowling action.

The experienced all-rounder participated in just one match for Surrey last year, delivering 33.5 and 29.3 overs in the two innings.

Following an independent assessment at Loughborough University in December, Shakib was banned from bowling in all competitions governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) due to his illegal action. This suspension was automatically applied to international cricket in accordance with ICC regulations.

In a candid conversation on the Beard Before Wicket podcast, Shakib reflected, “I think I was doing it a little bit intentionally because I bowled more than 70 overs in one match. I’ve never bowled that many overs in a Test match before. I was exhausted after playing that four-day match for Surrey against Somerset in Taunton.”

He continued, “After back-to-back Test matches in Pakistan, where we won the series, I moved on to play those four-day games. I thought the umpire could have at least given me a warning. However, I understand it’s within their rights according to the rules. I didn’t raise any complaints. After failing the test, I realized these things happen. I trained for a couple of weeks, returned to Surrey, and they were supportive. After two sessions, I was back to normal. It felt surprisingly easy,” Shakib added.

Earlier this year, Shakib successfully passed his third bowling assessment at Loughborough University in the UK, which cleared him to bowl again.