New Delhi, 5 November (Hindustan Reporter). Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who is in the final stages of his career, seems to be in trouble and this time because of his bowling. Shakib has been reported by the umpires for a suspicious bowling action during his only match for Surrey in the County Championship.
Shakib was asked to get his bowling action analyzed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
Shakib bowled over 63 overs and took nine wickets for Surrey in a thrilling Championship match against Somerset at Taunton in September. It has now been revealed that on-field umpires Steve O'Shaughnessy and David Milnes later deemed his bowling action suspicious.
This was Shakib's first appearance in the competition after a brief stint with Worcestershire in 2010–11, after he decided to play for Surrey for some time due to the absence of eight players on England duty.
It is understood that Shakib has not been suspended from playing but will undergo further tests at an approved location within the next few weeks. This is a big surprise for Shakib, whose bowling has never come under scrutiny during his career spanning over 17 years, in which he took 712 wickets in 447 international matches.
When the matter was drawn to the attention of a BCB official on Monday, he said, “This matter (Shakib's suspicious bowling action) has no connection with international cricket or domestic cricket in other countries. “This matter is within the jurisdiction of the ECB and does not relate to the ICC or other boards.”
He said that if Shakib wants to play domestic cricket in England then he will have to play Test.
Shakib was not selected for the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. He insisted that he needed some more time to recover as he was asked not to return home to play his farewell Test against South Africa, which he had desired when announcing his retirement.