Bangladesh have suffered a big blow as their superstar Shakib Al Hasan's participation in Champions Trophy 2025 has come under serious threat. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has confirmed that the premier all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan's ban will remain in effect as he failed a recent reassessment test of his bowling action conducted in Chennai, India. This news comes as a massive setback for the Bangladesh team, particularly with the ICC Champions Trophy approaching. Shakib is a highly valuable asset to the team, contributing significantly with both bat and ball.
While Shakib will still be available to the team as a batter, his absence as a frontline spinner will be a considerable loss, especially considering the upcoming tournament will be played in subcontinent conditions where spin bowling is crucial.
"Consequently, the player's existing suspension from bowling in international cricket following the initial independent assessment at the testing centre of Loughborough University in the UK, also remains in place. A successful reassessment is required for the bowling suspension to be lifted. While Shakib is currently unable to bowl, he is eligible to continue playing as a batsman in all forms of domestic and international cricket," BCB said in a statement as quoted by Cricbuzz.
The failed reassessment test potentially diminishes Shakib Al Hasan's chances of being selected in the Bangladesh squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy. A member of the selection panel has confirmed to Cricbuzz that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) would not consider selecting Shakib for the tournament if he is unable to bowl.
"If he (Shakib) is not bowling chances are slim (to play in the Champions Trophy). Tamim is sorted (having announced retirement), and Shakib needs to come after giving his third (bowling reassessment) test and I am in doubt regarding his chances in the tournament. So you can say that we are preparing the squad without them (Tamim and Shakib) as we will not be thinking of Shakib if he is not bowling. If BCB feels that he can come after the test, we can go for replacement as we have time," he said.
Shakib was reported for a suspect bowling action during a single game for Surrey in September. While it was initially believed that the ban would only apply to English competitions, the BCB clarified that the ban extends to all international matches. This is the first instance of Shakib facing such an issue in his illustrious career. Considered one of the greatest all-rounders in the history of cricket, Shakib Al Hasan boasts an exceptional record, having scored over 14,000 runs and taken over 700 wickets in international cricket. While he has retired from Test and T20I cricket, Shakib still harbors hopes of continuing to represent Bangladesh in ODIs.