Bangladesh’s star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was on Tuesday handed a ban at least till October 29, 2020 by the International Cricket Council for failing to report three corrupt approaches, including one during the IPL by a suspected Indian bookie.
The ban is for two years but the last 12 months is a suspended sentence, which will come into effect if Shakib fails to comply with the anti-corruption code of the world body. The one-year ban that he has to serve will keep him out of next year’s Indian Premier League and also the World T20 to be held in Australia from October 18 to November 15 the same year.
The news sent the cricket world into shock. The 32-year-old has been among the leading all-rounders in the world for the past decade, and has single-handedly won games for Bangladesh with the bat and ball. The southpaw had a dream world cup earlier this year and was set to be a part of the upcoming India tour, where Bangladesh will play its first-ever day-night Test.
Most questioned how a player of Shakib’s stature could miss reporting an approach not once but thrice, while there were some who found the timing of the incident odd, given the Bangladesh star leading a recent player revolt which was eventually resolved.
Here’s how the cricketing community reacted to Shakib’s ban:
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