Dhaka: Bangladesh’s Test and T20 captain Shakib Al Hasan was suspended for two years on Tuesday by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for not reporting a corrupt approach, ruling him out of the tour of India which starts from November 3.
Shakib has been handed a full ban for a year and a 12-month suspended sentence.
The 32-year-old was being kept away from team’s practice on ICC’s instructions. The series against India comprises three T20 Internationals and two Tests.
“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. The ICC ACU is reliant on players to play a central part in the fight against corruption and I didn’t do my duty in this instance,” Shakib said in a media release of the ICC.
He will miss next year’s Indian Premier League and also the World T20 to be held in Australia from 18 October to 15 November 2020.
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Two years ago, a bookie had approached Shakib with an offer before an international match, which he did not report to the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU).
The ban will compound the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) problems ahead of the tour of India.
In his absence, senior-most player Mushfiqur Rahim might lead the team in Tests while one among Mahmudullah Riyadh Mosaddek Hosain is set to be the skipper in the three T20 Internationals.
Shakib recently spearheaded a players’ strike before calling it off after the BCB assured that their demands, including a pay hike, will be fulfilled.
He is unarguably one of the greats of the game in Bangladesh with more than 11,000 runs and over 500 wickets across three formats.
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