Shakib Al Hasan fails bowling reassessment

DHAKA: Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan’s suspension from bowling in all competitions organised by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will remain in place after he failed an independent re-assessment, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said on Saturday.

Shakib failed the independent re-assessment test conducted at the Sri Ramachandra Centre for Sports Science in Chennai, India last month.

“While Shakib is currently unable to bowl, he is eligible to continue playing as a batsman in all forms of domestic and international cricket,” the BCB said in a statement.

Bangladesh are free to pick the 37-year-old as a specialist batter for the Champions Trophy, with the eight-team competition kicking off on Feb 19 in Karachi.

Earlier in the day, former Bangladesh one-day captain Tamim Iqbal announced his retirement from international cricket, saying he did not wish to be a distraction for the team ahead of the Champions Trophy.

Tamim made his international debut in a 2007 One-Day International (ODI) against Zimbabwe in Harare. He played 243 ODIs, 70 tests and 78 Twenty20 internationals (T20Is).

Tamim previously retired from international cricket a few months before the 50-overs World Cup in India in 2023, but reversed that decision in a day. He then missed out on the World Cup due to a back injury.

The 35-year-old scored over 15,000 runs across all formats and hit 25 centuries – the most by any Bangladesh batter. He last played for Bangladesh in their 2-0 ODI series defeat at home against New Zealand in September 2023.

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“I have been away from international cricket for a long time. That distance will remain. My chapter in international cricket is over,” he wrote in a post on social media.

“I have been thinking about this for a long time. Now that a big event like the Champions Trophy is coming up, I do not want to be the focus of anyone’s attention, which could lead to the team losing their focus.”

For the Champions Trophy, Bangladesh are in Group A, alongside hosts and defending champions Pakistan, New Zealand and India.

“Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto sincerely asked me to return to the team (for the Champions Trophy),” Tamim added.

“There were discussions with the selection committee too. I am grateful to them for still considering me in the team. However, I have listened to my own heart.”