Shakib Al Hasan’s suspension from bowling in the County Championship and The Hundred has been lifted after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) cleared his action. Shakib was banned from bowling in top-level domestic and international cricket after his action was found illegal during his only County appearance in September 2024. The standing umpires reported his action while he was playing for Surrey against Somerset.
In his 20-year professional career, Shakib had never been reported for a suspect action before. However, after failing his initial bowling assessment at Loughborough University in December, he was suspended. The ECB’s decision was automatically enforced by the ICC and all national cricket boards, restricting Shakib from bowling in all forms of cricket. He also failed a second assessment in Chennai in January, which led to his exclusion from Bangladesh’s Champions Trophy squad. The Champions Trophy was supposed to mark Shakib’s international farewell.
Determined to return, Shakib underwent a third assessment at Loughborough University on March 9. All 22 deliveries bowled during this test were deemed legal. On Wednesday, Shakib received the confirmation that his action had been cleared. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) issued a statement confirming that Shakib had “successfully remedied his action.”
With his suspension lifted, Shakib is now free to bowl in the upcoming County Championship and The Hundred. His return to bowling boosts his teams and excites fans, who eagerly await seeing him back in action.
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