Bangladesh have left star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan out of their squad for the Champions Trophy which begins next month.
On Sunday (January 12), the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced their 15-player squad for the tournament, with Shakib conspicuous by his absence. Indeed, it is the first time since his international debut that Bangladesh will participate in an ICC tournament without their star all-rounder.
His recent political troubles have put his status within Bangladesh cricket in doubt. After nationwide student protests led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government, controversy courted Shakib as he was named as an accused in cases of extrajudicial killings during Hasina's tenure. In September, he also said that he feared for his safety in Bangladesh.
But Shakib has not had a good time on the field either.
Banned for throwing: Is Shakib valuable enough to Bangladesh as a batter alone?
He played one County Championship match for Surrey against Somerset in September, and his bowling spell in the game saw him get reported for throwing by the umpires. He was subsequently banned from bowling by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) after an independent assessment of his bowling action at Loughborough University found that the elbow extension in his action was more than the permissible 15 degrees.
The ECB suspension was recognised by the ICC. Shakib was then banned from bowling in international cricket, and in domestic cricket by all national federations. On Sunday, it was reported that Shakib had failed a second test of his bowling action, this time conducted at the Sri Ramachandra Centre for Sports Science in Chennai, in December.
Without passing a test of his action, Shakib remains banned from bowling in international cricket. He is free to play as a batter, though. his exclusion from Bangladesh's Champions Trophy squad may have been on the basis that at this stage of his career, Shakib does not make their squad as a batter alone.
In addition, Shakib has not been a regular in Bangladesh's international setup for a while now. He took part in the T20 World Cup last year, as well as the Test series in India in September-October 2024. However, Bangladesh have played 13 ODIs since his last one, which was against Sri Lanka in November 2023, during the World Cup.
The beginning of the end?
At 37 years old, this could be the end of Shakib Al Hasan's international career. He has already announced his retirement from Test cricket. The T20I door remains open, but once again, he has not been involved since the end of the T20 World Cup. In September, he had stated that he would retire following the Champions Trophy, but following his non-selection it remains to be seen what his decision will be.
Bangladesh squad for Champions Trophy 2025
Batters
Najmul Hossain Shanto, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Towhid Hridoy
Wicketkeepers
Mushfiqur Rahim, Jaker Ali, Parvez Hossain Emon
All-rounders
Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz
Bowlers
Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana
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