Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan banned for two years for breaching ICC Anti-Corruption Code, set to miss India tour

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan has been banned for two years, with one year suspended, after he accepted three charges of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code. The ban applies to all formats and he will not be available for selection for the Bangladesh team until 29 October 2020. [caption id=“attachment_7381111” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Shakib al Hasan has been banned for two years by the ICC. AFP File photo[/caption] In order to avoid the one-year suspended sentence coming into effect, Shakib must adhere by the ACU code and participate in anti-corruption education and/or rehabilitation programmes. The series in question where corrupt approaches or invitations were made included: Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe tri-series in January 2018 and the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2018. Shakib accepted not reporting a second approach during the tri-series either or during a Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kings XI Punjab fixture on 26 April, 2018. The charges are as follows as per the ICC: “Article 2.4.4 – Failure to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations he received to engage in Corrupt Conduct - in relation to the Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe Tri-Series in January 2018 and / or the 2018 IPL Article 2.4.4 – Failure to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations he received to engage in Corrupt Conduct - in relation to a second approach in respect of the Tri-Series in January 2018 Article 2.4.4 – Failure to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations he received to engage in Corrupt Conduct - in relation to an IPL 2018 match between Sunrisers Hyderabad v Kings XI Punjab on 26 April 2018.” Shakib was spoken to by the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit in January and August this year and he failed to report the approaches made to him by “an individual known to the ACU and suspected of involvement in corruption in cricket, Deepak Aggarwal.” The ICC said Aggarwal had asked Shakib to provide information on team composition and strategy on three separate occasions, one of them being 26 April, 2018 when his IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad was to take on Kings XI Punjab. Sunrisers won the game by 13 runs. “These messages on 26 April 2018 included a number of deleted messages. He confirmed that these deleted messages contained requests from Mr Aggarwal for Inside Information,” the ICC stated. Aggarwal’s other two approaches were during the Bangladesh Premier League when Shakib was playing for Dhaka Dynamites in 2017, followed by the tri-series against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka in January 2018. Aggarwal, the ICC said, wanted to meet Shakib but the cricketer didn’t oblige as “he had concerns over Mr Aggarwal, feeling he was a bit ‘dodgy’, and that, following their conversations, he had the feeling that Mr Aggarwal was a bookie,” it added. Shakib Al Hasan was quoted as saying by the ICC: “I am obviously extremely sad to have been banned from the game I love, but I completely accept my sanction for not reporting the approaches. 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.” Shakib, 32, was being kept away from team’s ongoing practice sessions before the India tour on ICC’s instructions. The series against India comprises of three T20Is and two Tests and gets underway in Delhi with the shortest format games on 3 November. The squad is set to leave for India on Wednesday and Shakib is not going to be a part of the touring party. In his absence, Mushfiqur Rahim might lead the team in Tests while one among Mahmudullah Riyadh or Mosaddek Hosain could take the leadership duties in the T20Is. Shakib recently spearheaded a players’ strike before calling it off after the BCB assured that their demands, including a pay hike, will be fulfilled. (With PTI inputs)