Shakib Al Hasan has revealed that he intentionally bowled with a flawed action during his 2024 spell with Surrey, a decision that ultimately led to his suspension from bowling in all forms of cricket.
Speaking on the Beard Before Wicket podcast, released on Sunday, the former Bangladesh captain discussed his action, his fatigue during the County Championship and the chain of events that followed.
Shakib played his only four-day match for Surrey in September 2024, where umpires questioned the legality of his action. He later underwent testing at Loughborough University in December 2024, where his action was declared illegal. The England and Wales Cricket Board subsequently barred him from bowling in competitive cricket, with the suspension automatically applying to international cricket under ICC rules.
“I did it somewhat deliberately because I had bowled more than 70 overs in that match,” Shakib said. “I’ve never bowled 70 overs in a Test in my entire career. We were playing Somerset at Taunton and I was exhausted.”
He explained that he had just completed two consecutive Tests in Pakistan before travelling to England: “I went straight into that four-day match after winning the series. I thought the umpires might warn me — they had the right to — but they didn’t. I didn’t complain either.”
Shakib failed his first test and then reviewed the footage to identify technical flaws. “I understood what was wrong. After two weeks of practice, I went back to Surrey. They helped me, and after two sessions everything felt fine. It seemed surprisingly easy.”
In that match, Shakib bowled 63.2 overs and claimed nine wickets — 33.5 overs in the first innings and 29.3 in the second. He later passed his third action test and regained clearance to bowl. He had previously failed a second test in Chennai, which selectors said ruled him out of consideration for the Champions Trophy, although the board maintained he remained eligible as a batter in all formats.
