Shakib banned for 3 matches, fined Tk5 lakh

Star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has been handed a three-match ban and fined BDT five lakh by the match referee for losing his temper more than once during a Dhaka Premier League match between Abahani and Mohammedan on Friday. 

Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM) Chairman Kazi Inam Ahmed confirmed the matter to the media during a press briefing on Saturday. 

Shakib, who is staying at The Westin Dhaka, received the notice of punishment sent by match referee Morshedul Alam this afternoon. 

It was a level 3 offence under the BCB's code of conduct, and Shakib accepted the sanctions.

According to the rules, there is a provision of punishment of a minimum of one match to maximum two-match expulsion and a minimum Tk 25,000 fine for the first misconduct of level-3.

If any player commits a level-3 offense for the second time in the same match, he will be punished with expulsion from 2-5 matches and a fine of at least Tk 25,000.

The 34-year old was infuriated after a strong leg before shout against Mushfiqur Rahim was turned down. Shakib immediately lashed out at the umpire and kicked the stumps in anger. 

Rain got heavier in the next over and the umpire called the groundsmen to bring the covers on before the completion of the sixth over. Mohammedan skipper Shakib wasn't pleased with that as well. He once again had a heated argument with the umpire and at one stage uprooted the stumps and smashed them on the ground. 

The play was halted due to rain and Shakib got into another argument with Abahani coach Khaled Mahmud. 

Mohammedan easily won the match and Shakib reportedly expressed his apology to the Abahani team for his behavior. Visuals suggested that Shakib spoke to the umpires he offended. He was spotted chatting to Abahani captain Mushfiqur and other players. 

The all-rounder issued an apology on Facebook related to the incident, saying that it was a human error. "Dear fans and followers, I am extremely sorry for losing my temper and ruining the match for everyone and especially those who are watching from home. An experienced player like me should not have reacted that way but sometimes against all odds it happens, unfortunately. I apologize to the teams, management, tournament officials, and organizing committee for this human error. Hopefully, I won't be repeating this again in the future. Thanks, and love you all," wrote Shakib.

Shakib's on-field behavior drew mixed reactions on social media. However, Shakib's wife Ummey Ahmed Shishir came to his defense, saying that the criticism and reports are a 'plot' against Shakib to portray him as the villain. I'm enjoying this incident as much as the media is, finally some news on tv! It is great to see the support of the people who can see the clear picture of today's incident. At least someone has the guts to stand against all odds.

"However it is sad to see the main issue getting buried by the media highlighting only the anger that he showed. The main issue is the ongoing eye-catching decisions of the umpires! The headlines are really saddening. To me, it is a plot against him that has been going on for a while to portray him as the villain in all circumstances! If you are a cricket lover, beware of your actions!" Shishir said in a statement on her official Facebook page.

Earlier, during Shakib's private training session at the BCB indoor training facility on June 4th, Shakib got away with a warning despite breaching the bio-secure environment during the ongoing DPL when he opted to call two additional net bowlers from his own cricket academy.

This is not the first time Shakib hogged the limelight for negative reasons. Before this, he was suspended multiple times by the BCB. The all-rounder was handed a two-year ban, one year of that suspended, by the ICC after he had failed to report multiple approaches from bookmakers.