DHAKA: Bangladesh's former captain and star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has revealed that he intentionally bowled with an illegal action. His bowling action was deemed unlawful in 2024 while playing English County cricket, leading to his suspension.
In an interview, Shakib admitted, “I think I deliberately bowled with an illegal action to some extent.”
He stated that during a match for Surrey against Somerset, he bowled more than 70 overs — more than he had ever bowled even in a Test match. After playing back-to-back Tests against Pakistan, he was exhausted, which affected his action.
Shakib shared that he expected umpires to warn him, but they followed regulations. His action was reported, and he accepted it without complaint. He failed the first action test but cleared it later after reassessment.
The all-rounder bowled a total of 63.2 overs in that county match. Earlier this year, he was cleared to bowl again after completing the required tests.
