Shakib Al Hasan gets green light to bowl in County Championship & The Hundred

Veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has been cleared to resume bowling in the County Championship and The Hundred after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) approved his action.

The Bangladesh all-rounder was banned from bowling in top-tier domestic and international cricket after the ECB ruled his action illegal during his lone County appearance for Surrey in September 2024.

Over a 20-year professional career, Shakib had never previously been reported for an illegal action. 

He underwent his third bowling assessment at Loughborough University on March 9, receiving the results on Wednesday, which confirmed that all 22 deliveries bowled during the test were deemed legal.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) released a statement affirming that Shakib had "successfully rectified his action."

Speaking to a local sports platform, the former captain confirmed the news with evident joy.

"The news is right (about passing the bowling test), and I am cleared to bowl again," Shakib said.

Shakib was first suspended from bowling in all formats of cricket in December after failing his initial test at Loughborough University.

As per ICC regulations for illegal bowling actions (clause 11.3), the suspension was automatically enforced by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in international cricket and upheld by national cricket boards in their respective domestic leagues.

A second assessment in Chennai in January also returned a negative result, leading to his omission from Bangladesh’s Champions Trophy squad, which was supposed to mark his final international tournament.

According to Prothom Alo, Shakib arrived in the UK on February 27 and has been training with Surrey. With his bowling suspension lifted, he is set to continue playing for Surrey in the upcoming County Championship season.