Bangladesh cricket star Shakib Al Hasan has had a turbulent career marked by numerous controversies and suspensions. From on-field outbursts to disciplinary issues, here's a look at the top incidents that have defined his career.
'Severe attitude problem': Bangladesh villain Shakib Al Hasan's lengthy rap sheet exposed
Bangladesh star Shakib Al Hasan has courted controversy throughout his illustrious career, most recently by appealing for Angelo Mathews to be timed out. Despite being Bangladesh's greatest cricketer, with over 12,000 international runs and 457 wickets, Shakib has a history of outbursts.
October 2010: Furious outburst at fans
By 2010, Shakib had become the undisputed No.1 star in Bangladesh cricket and was already considered by many to be the country's greatest player at just 23. However, during a one-day clash against New Zealand, batting on 92, Shakib fumed when he noticed repeated movement from fans near the sightscreen. After umpires failed to intervene, the Bangladesh skipper took matters into his own hands, running towards the fans, hurling abuse at them, and threatening to hit them with his bat. The incident overshadowed a player of the match performance from Shakib, who made a century and took three wickets in a nine-run Bangladesh win. He escaped with a warning from match referee Javagal Srinath.
February 2014: Suspended over indecent gesture
Shakib was handed a three-match ODI ban after making an indecent gesture towards his crotch in the dressing room during a clash against Sri Lanka. The incident took place when TV commentators were discussing Shakib's dismissal, and the camera panned towards the Bangladesh dressing room. After a few seconds, Shakib gestured towards his crotch and then towards the camera. "Shakib was repentant for the incident and readily accepted that the behaviour was unbecoming of a player of his experience and stature. We also reminded him that his action was unacceptable," then-Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) boss Nizamuddin Chowdhury said. Shakib later issued a statement apologising for his actions, saying, "I was extremely frustrated with getting out so abruptly and my emotions got the better of me".
June 2014: Alleged altercation with Indian fan
The BCB was forced to investigate an alleged altercation between Shakib and a spectator during an ODI in India. By this point, Shakib had been sacked as skipper, replaced by Mushfiqur Rahim, who was forced to address the incident. "It was not in my control, and I hadn't heard it when the incident happened," Mushfiqur said. "I was busy calculating what would have happened in case of a match taking place. It would be better to talk to the management. If I had known, I could have told you. "I didn't see what happened. A lot can be said. Whatever the public says, we have to bow our heads to them. So I would say it is not just his fault, but the whole team's fault. It can be anyone, so the team has to be the sufferer".
July 2014: Banned over 'severe attitude problem'
By this stage of his career, Shakib had become a repeat offender, and Bangladesh was fed up. The team's best player was handed a six-month suspension by the BCB following his "serious misbehaviour" with Sri Lankan coach Chandika Hathurusingha. "He has a severe attitude problem, which is unprecedented in the history of Bangladesh cricket. We think that his behaviour is such that it's directly impacting the team," BCB president Nazmul Hassan said at the time. "What is perhaps more alarming is that other players have started to behave like him. If this continues, our future will be destroyed. So that's why we believe he deserves a strict punishment. Our board has unanimously decided to ban him from competitive cricket for the next six months, both national and international cricket." The ban came after Shakib had threatened to quit playing Tests and T20s after Hathurusingha had asked him to return early from the Caribbean Premier League to join a Bangladesh camp. Hassan also revealed another worrying incident where a boy claimed Shakib had hit him. "Shakib even told the manager and team-mates that he hit him. But when we called him for the hearing, he said that he didn't hit him," he said. "Then, when he was asked as to why he left the dressing room, he said he didn't know the rules. The board believes that this attitude of his won't work here."
March 2018: Dressing room left trashed after victory
Shakib had been reinstalled as Bangladesh captain despite his previous indiscretions, and there was more controversy to follow. Following a fiery T20 against Sri Lanka, which Bangladesh won with a ball to spare, Shakib was fined 25 per cent of his match fee after gesturing to Bangladesh's batters to leave the field after an umpiring decision he disagreed with. An investigation found that Shakib's actions were deemed to be "conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game". The immediate aftermath of the contest was also marred by a visitor's locker room that was left trashed, with a glass door shattered after Bangladesh's win. Shakib was believed by many to be the man behind the shattered glass door, and was apologetic in the aftermath. "Many things happened that shouldn't have happened," he admitted. "I need to remain calm. I was overjoyed. Excitement was there. I must know how to react next time. I will be careful."
October 2019: International ban over bookmakers meeting
Shakib had been selected to lead Bangladesh in Test and T20 series against India when he was handed a massive suspension by the ICC for breaching its Anti-Corruption Code. He was believed to have been contacted by bookmakers during a tri-nation series in 2018 and during the 2018 Indian Premier League, but failed to report the approaches. He was banned from all forms of cricket for two years. "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," he said. "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." The BCB said it was "shocked and extremely disappointed" that Shakib had failed to report a corrupt approach on three separate occasions.
June 2021: Ugly blow-up at domestic umpire goes viral
This time it was an unsuspecting domestic umpire that was caught in the hot-headed Shakib's crosshairs during a Dhaka Premier League clash. The Bangladesh skipper disagreed with umpire Imran Parvez over an lbw call and threw a tantrum, kicking the stumps following an aggressive appeal. However, he wasn't done. The match was later halted due to rain, and Shakib uprooted the stumps in anger before slamming them on the turf. He was suspended for three matches and handed a fine of over $7000. "I am extremely sorry for losing my temper and ruining the match for everyone and especially those who are watching from home," he said in a statement on Facebook to his fans. "An experienced player like me should not have reacted that way but sometimes against all odds it happens, unfortunately. I apologise to the teams, management, tournament officials and organising committee for this human error. Hopefully, I won't be repeating this again in the future. Thanks and love you all."
November 2022: Forcibly removed after another umpire run-in
Shakib's problem with officials reared its ugly head yet again during the T20 World Cup in Australia. The Bangladesh skipper was visibly furious after being given out lbw despite appearing to hit the ball on the way through. Shakib was left bemused when the third umpire upheld the on-field decision and refused to leave the field for a short period of time. He was eventually asked to leave by umpire Joel Wilson and begrudgingly went back into the rooms. The blow proved to be costly for Bangladesh, who lost to Pakistan by five wickets.
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