Bookie to Shakib: Bro anything in this series?
ICC releases transcript of messages exchanged; teammates stand by banned Bangladesh all-rounder
Shakib Al Hasan, the world’s top ODI allrounder, was banned on Tuesday for two years by ICC, one year suspended, for failing to report corrupt approaches from an alleged Indian bookie Deepak Aggarwal on three occasions, including one during the 2018 Indian Premier League.
A day later, the Bangladesh star’s Whatsapp exchanges with Aggarwal was made public by cricket’s world body, revealing that there was mention of dollar account, bitcoins and money in the chats and that some of the messages were deleted by the player.
On January 19, 2018, Shakib received a message from Aggarwal congratulating him for being named the Man-of-the-Match during a Tri-series also involving Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. He followed it up with another message “do we work in this or I wait till the IPL.” Four days later, Shakib received another message from Aggarwal, “Bro anything in this series?”
Shakib maintained during his hearings with ICC’s anti-corruption unit that he had not passed on any information to Aggarwal and did not receive any money from him. ICC is convinced, which reflects in the lighter punishment handed out.
Ironically, six-and-a-half years ago, Shakib and a few other Bangladesh cricketers had testified before ICC about fixing approaches made to them by teammate Mohammad Ashraful, after which the career of the country’s star batsman was over. Shakib had also reported similar approaches made to him in the past, which meant there was no question of the Bangladesh skipper being ignorant of the anti-corruption laws.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan said Shakib deserved a harsher punishment. “No sympathy what’s so ever for Shakib Al Hasan ... Non what’s so ever ... In this era the players get briefed all the time about what they can & cant do and what that have to report straight away ... 2 yrs isn’t enough ... Should have been longer ...,” tweeted Vaughan. “For all you abusing I have zero tolerance for corruption .. It doesn’t matter what team you play for .. Players these days know exactly what they can and can’t do .. also know they have to report anything .. if they don’t they know the consequences.”
But there was an outpouring of sympathy back home.
On Wednesday, people took to the streets in Magura—Shakib’s hometown—and in Dhaka to protest the ban. “The protesters shouted slogans and marched along a highway. They also formed a human chain as part of their action against the ICC decision,” Saiful Islam, Magura police chief, told AFP. “The protesters carried placards saying Shakib was the victim of a conspiracy and demanded the ban be revoked.”
Such is Shakib’s stature in Bangladesh that even Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina came out in his support. “It’s clear Shakib has made a mistake and he’s realised that,” Hasina was quoted as saying by bdnews24.com. “There’s nothing much the government can do about the ICC’s decision but Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will stand by him,” she added.
The ban could not have come at a more inappropriate time for the Bangladesh team, just ahead of the full tour of India.
“Those who have supported me over the years, I hope they, the fans, Bangladesh Cricket Board, the government, the journalists will continue to support me in my bad and good time,” Shakib said before his teammates left for their series against India beginning on Sunday. “I am hopeful I will come back to cricket soon. I will be stronger and will perform my responsibilities with more sincerity.”
At this year’s World Cup in England, Shakib scored more than 600 runs and took 11 wickets. He also became the fastest to reach 5,000 runs and 250 wickets in ODIs. However, he is set to miss the World T20 to be played in Australia from October 18 next year.
On landing in India, stand-in skipper Mahmudullah said: “I think Shakib’s absence will work as motivation for us. There’s no greater honour than playing for the country. The responsibility to lead the side is with me, I will try to give it my all.”
Bangladesh wicket-keeper batsman Mushfiqur Rahim said Shakib will always have his support. “Age level.. international… over 18 years of playing cricket together, very sad to even think about playing without you on the field. Hoping that you comeback soon like a champ. You always have my support, and whole of Bangladesh. Stay strong,” Mushfiqur wrote on his Instagram handle. “Definitely I will have some sleepless nights seeing the recent incidents of my comrade of 13 years. But I can also sleep in peace soon knowing full well that he
will lead us to the 2023 World Cup. Because the name is Shakib Al Hasan,” Bangladesh ODI skipper Mashrafe Mortaza wrote on Facebook.
Shakib has also stepped down from the MCC World Cricket Committee, which was “sorry” to lose him but said his resignation was “the right decision”.
However, the biggest positive
that came out of this was that just four days before his ban, Shakib led a players’ protest to successfully get match fee and pay in Bangladesh’s domestic cricket hiked. BCB, which, according to its president Nazmul Hassan’s statement on Wednesday, did not know much about ICC’s probe against Shakib, accepted the demands.