Shakib confident of ‘stronger comeback’ from ban for breaching corruption code

Shakib Al Hasan has solicited unending support of fans, officials and the media to return to cricket following a ban by the International Cricket Council for breaching its corruption code.

The regular Test and Twenty20 skipper read out a formal statement at a media briefing at the Bangladesh Cricket Board in Dhaka on Tuesday shortly after the ICC announced the ban for two years, one of which is suspended.

After the statement, Shakib said: “I want to say one more thing. I hope that you – all the cricket-loving people of Bangladesh, all the people, BCB, government and the media – will continue providing me with the support you had lent me in ups and downs.”

“By the grace of God, I will be able to return to cricket very soon if this support remains.

“I will be able to perform my duty stronger than before,” he added.

 

In the formal statement, which the ICC already published in the media release on the decision, Shakib said he was “obviously extremely sad to have been banned from the game I love”.

Acknowledging his failure to follow the code, Shakib said: “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.”

“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 ACU team to support their education programme and ensure young players don’t make the same mistake I did,” he said.

He would be free to resume international cricket on Oct 29 next year subject to him satisfying the conditions in respect of the suspended part of the sanction, the game’s global governing body said.

Apart from the upcoming India tour where Bangladesh will play three T20s and two Tests, the 32-year-old will miss the T20 World Cup in Australia next year.

Ranked among the top three all-rounders in all formats of the game, Shakib has scored more than 11,000 runs and taken over 500 wickets in 56 Tests, 206 ODIs and 76 T20s for Bangladesh.

At the 2019 Cricket World Cup in England, he finished as the third-highest run-scorer with 606 in eight matches, including two hundreds and five fifties.

BCB President Nazmul Hassan, who had harshly criticised Shakib over the recent strike of the players for better pay and more of a say, told the media call that he was “shocked”.

“Nothing can be much more shocking than this,” Nazmul said.

“Firstly, he can’t play cricket, and secondly, he was at the centre of our India tour plans,” he said.

 

There is “no substitute” for Mashrafe Bin Mortaza as a captain and Shakib as a player in Bangladesh’s cricket, according to the BCB boss.

“We must stand by him. He has no reasons to break down. The BCB will provide whatever support he needs.

“We believe he will return soon and take cricket forward,” he added.

Nazmul also said the board was in the dark about the ICC investigation and Shakib only told him about it two to three days ago.

Shakib’s spouse Ummey Al Hasan described the ban in a Facebook post as the “beginning of a new start”.

“Legends don’t become legends overnight they have to go through storms many ups and downs, tough times will come but they embrace it [sic] with strong mind, and we know how strong Shakib al hasan is!” she wrote.

She also said her husband would “come back stronger than ever in no time”. 

“He has been away from cricket due to injuries and we saw how strongly he came back in the World Cup. This is just a matter of time, We are overwhelmed by all the love and support you have shown us. That’s the unity we need as a nation!”