“COVID was good only for me” - Shakib Al Hasan reflects on tough times during suspension
Bangladesh’ star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has admitted that the one-year suspension handed to him by the ICC was a bitter pill to swallow. He, however, added that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought the world to a standstill, he did not miss a lot of international cricket.
In October 2019, Shakib Al Hasan was banned from all forms of cricket for two years, with one year suspended, after he accepted three charges of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.
Reflecting on the tough times, the Bangladesh all-rounder told Sportskeeda that while the one-year away from the game was difficult, the support from near and dear ones made things easier. Without wanting to sound insensitive, he added:
“COVID was the one good thing that happened during that time. Not good for anyone else, but only for me, because not a lot of international cricket was going on then. But it wasn’t easy; I had to struggle big time. Thankfully, the people surrounding me were helpful."
"And, when I got back into the team after my suspension, the teammates, the coaching staff and the board (BCB) were very supportive. So that helped me a lot. But yeah, that one year was very difficult for me.”
Following the completion of his ban, Shakib Al Hasan returned to international cricket in January 2021. And it was a grand comeback for him, as he claimed 4/8 from 7.2 overs in an ODI against West Indies in Mirpur.
The 34-year-old found himself at the centre of another controversy earlier this year when he was banned for three Dhaka Premier League matches and fined BDT 5 lakh for unruly on-field behaviour.
We know each other very well, we don't need to talk much: Shakib Al Hasan on Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim
Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim have been star performers in Bangladesh cricket for well over a decade now. Asked to share insight on the kind of camaraderie he enjoys with the other two senior members of the team, Shakib Al Hasan revealed:
“Well, we have been playing together since U-15s. You can imagine, it's been more than 16-17 years that we have been playing together. We know each other very well. We don't need to talk to each other so much as to we need to do this or do that. We know each other’s games so well, as we have been sharing the dressing room for 17-18 years. This relationship has been fantastic, and I hope it will continue for many more years.”
Shakib Al Hasan has played 58 Tests, 215 ODIs and 84 T20Is for Bangladesh. He has scored 12,251 international runs, and also claimed 594 wickets.