Mahmudullah, Bangladesh T20I captain has revealed that the entire dressing room is eagerly waiting for Shakib Al Hasan, whose 12-month ban will end on October 29, to make his return.
Shakib Al Hasan was banned for a year for not reporting corrupt approaches. His 12-month ban ends on October 29 as the former Bangladesh captain is set to return to professional cricket in November.
Mahmudullah: Shakib Al Hasan Is A Champion Player And Won’t Take Him Long To Get Back Into Rhythm
Bangladesh T20I captain Mahmudullah has expressed his excitement and happiness in welcoming the former captain. Shakib Al Hasan, who is currently in America spending time with his family, is soon to return to Bangladesh as he is likely to participate in BCB’s 5-team T20 tournament in November.
“Our boy is coming back home, which makes me very happy. We know that Shakib has been the best player for so many years, for the Bangladesh cricket team. We are all eagerly waiting for his return to the dressing room. It feels good to know that we can see him, talk to him and spend time with him,” Mahmudullah told ESPNcricinfo.
“Shakib is a champion player. I think it won’t take him long to get back to rhythm. I believe that he will get it back as soon as he enters the cricket field. The biggest thing is that we can fill up the gap that his absence had created. He always makes important contributions with the bat and ball,” the T20I captain added.
Meanwhile, the 3-match Test series in Sri Lanka has been postponed yet again after it was moved to October from its original schedule which was in August. Mahmudullah is an all-rounder and a lower or middle-order batsman as well as an off-spin bowler. He is prominent for his ability as a finisher and is the first Bangladeshi to score a World Cup hundred. Mahmudullah has led Bangladesh in 12 T20Is, and 6 Tests and Bangladesh has lost most of them.
Shakib Al Hasan Admitted He Was Approached By Bookie And Refused To Challenge 1 Year Ban
Former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan was banned by the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) last year for failure to report multiple approaches from an alleged bookie, Deepak Aggarwal. On close investigation ICC found out that the alleged bookie had approached him at least thrice, looking for confidential information. Shakib Al Hasan admitted that he first approached him on January 23 and again on August 27, and refused to challenge the 12-month ban.
“During these interviews, Mr Al Hasan was cautioned that the answers and information provided by him could be used as evidence to support a charge or charges in relation to a breach of the Code, if they revealed that Mr Al Hasan might have breached the Code, either by acting corruptly himself or by failing to report corrupt approaches or corrupt actions by others.
“After receiving these cautions, Mr Al Hasan admitted various failures to report approaches made to him to provide Inside Information to Mr Aggarwal,” the ICC said in a statement last year.
On 29 October 2019, the International Cricket Council (ICC) banned Shakib Al Hasan from all cricket for two years, with one year suspended, after breaching the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Code.
Shakib Al Hasan who represented Kolkata and Hyderabad in IPL became the first cricketer to score 600 runs and take 10 wickets in a single World Cup in 2019. His aggressive left-handed batting style in the middle order, controlled slow left-arm orthodox bowling and athletic fielding have helped him win trophies in top leagues.