Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan has been banned from all cricket for two years, one of them suspended, for failing to report “approaches he received to engage in corrupt conduct”.
The prolific run-scorer and top all-rounder in the International Cricket Council’s one-day international rankings has accepted three charges of breaching the ICC’s Anti-Corruption code.
Shakib, 32, has played 56 Tests, 206 one-day internationals and 76 Twenty20 internationals for Bangladesh, scoring more than 11,000 runs and claiming over 500 wickets across the three formats.
At the 2019 Cricket World Cup he finished as third-highest run-scorer with 606 in eight matches, including two hundreds and five fifties.
The ICC said on Tuesday Shakib failed to report two approaches during a tri-series involving Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe and another over a Sunrisers Hyderabad-Kings XI Punjab Indian Premier League game in 2018.
“I am obviously extremely sad to have been banned from the game I love but I completely accept my sanction for not reporting the approaches,” Shakib said.
“Like the majority of players and fans around the world, I want cricket to be a corruption free sport and I am looking forward to working with the ICC (Anti-Corruption Unit) team to support their education program and ensure young players don’t make the same mistake I did.”
Shakib led a strike by Bangladeshi cricketers, called off a week ago when the country’s cricket board accepted most of their demands including pay rises and other benefits.
BCB president Nazmul Hassan said the board was “shocked and extremely disappointed” such an experienced player repeatedly failed to report corrupt approaches.
“We hope he will come back as a better and wiser cricketer and serve Bangladesh for many more years when his sanction will be over,” he added.
“During the suspension the BCB will continue to support his efforts at returning to cricket.”
Mominul Haque has been appointed Test captain, while all-rounder Mahmudullah will lead the T20 squad for the upcoming tour of India.
Spinner Taijul Islam replaces Shakib in the T20 squad with Bangladesh to face India in three T20 matches starting Sunday.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
So I wonder how Pringle, Atherton, Du Plessis, Younis, Tendulkar, Dravid, Anderson, Broad, et al feel about this? Al Hasan didn't report others wrong doing and gets banned. But the former mentioned get little ICC attention and no home board sanctions after doing something concrete. ----- I can only think that the ICC would've looked weak after how hard CA came down on the The Gritz Bros.
Nick
Roar Guru
Well, for once, I applaud the consistency in your position. And I - shock - even agree.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
By comparison, yes. Two years for that is way out of proportion.
DTM
Guest
It's an interesting penalty given that he was not found guilty of actually taking a bribe yet Warner, Bancroft and Smith got a 1 match ban from the ICC when they were caught cheating (and this was consistent with other bans for similar offences). Remember, it was CA that imposed the 9 and 12 month bans - not the ICC. I understand the ICC trying to take a hard line on corruption but they need to step up the penalties on actual cheating as well.
DTM
Guest
Very sad to read this news - Shakib is (was) one of my favourite players. I'm sure there is more to the story but no point in us speculating. Not sure what the answer is to these issues - banning sports betting will force it underground and probably make corruption worse. It seems players are well enough educated so no excuses there.
Nick
Roar Guru
And David Warner, Cameron Bancroft et al? I presume they should get 5 years too...
JOHN ALLAN
Guest
Lucky that Mark Waugh & Warnie (my mother gave it to me) only provided weather reports (haha) to John the Bookie.
Diplomatt
Guest
Thanks for clearing that up Paul. It's a real shame because he is such an exciting and talented cricketer.
Paul
Roar Guru
It's apparently two years, Diplomatt, but one is suspended, assuming he's a good boy!
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Can you imagine the threats to life and family that might attend a bribery offer? He didn't take the bribes. Some faceless authority might decide that a player should report an approach but that authority doesn't have to live with any follow-up threats if there is a report. It seems to be an unfair expectation and a horrible penalty. He should be lauded for not taking a bribe in such a poorly rewarded nation. If this cops 2 years, Du Plessis and his South African cohorts in ball tampering, bullying and foul play ought to get 5 years. Such an unfair imbalance with penalties.
Diplomatt
Guest
It's being reported as a 1 year ban in other publications
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Some very strange happenings in Bangladeshi cricket at the moment. The timing of the Shakib-led players strike a couple of weeks ago is curious to say the least; BCB and Shakib clearly knew the ICC investigation was winding up and the signs re the findings would not be good. BCB indicated last week that Shakib (who had not been turning up to training sessions) and other players were likely to "skip"the upcoming tour to India. Does the BCB statement re other players skipping upcoming tours point to other players, beyond Shakib, also being under investigation? Was the players strike a last-ditch attempt by players to try and get some leverage over BCB to help place some form of pressure on the outcomes of the ICC's investigation/s? There's definitely been a smell about over the past couple of weeks, Paul; yesterday it became clear where it was emanating from. I wonder how deep into the Bangladesh team these bookies approaches go and what other ICC investigations are underway?
Paul
Roar Guru
This smells very bad. In other articles, former Test players point to his level of experience in the game and the amount of briefings each player receives on a yearly basis, but this guy failed to report not one, but three approaches by bookies - from 2018? As Michael Vaughan suggested, one year is not enough for a guy who supposedly loves the game and wants it to be corruption free. If he wanted that, why didn't he report even one of these approaches?