Shakib's bowling ban lifted

Shakib Al Hasan has been cleared to bowl again, bringing an end to his months-long restriction. The Bangladesh all-rounder passed his latest bowling action test, allowing him to return to full playing duties in competitive cricket. Having spent months as a specialist batsman, he can now reclaim his all-rounder role.

Confirming the news to Cricbuzz, Shakib expressed his relief at being allowed to bowl again.

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

Shakib's bowling action was first questioned last september during his county stint with Surrey. The scrutiny came as a shock, given his long career without any previous concerns over his action. In that match against Somerset, he bowled 63.2 overs and took nine wickets.

Subsequent testing at an ICC-accredited lab confirmed issues, leading to a ban on his bowling outside Bangladesh's domestic competitions. A follow-up test in december also found faults, preventing him from resuming bowling at the international level.

Rather than rushing a return, Shakib worked on modifying his action. Earlier this month, he underwent another test in England and this time received clearance. With 1,247 wickets in 860 recognised matches, the veteran is now free to bowl again.

Following his county spell, he played two Tests for Bangladesh in india later that month. In november, he featured in the Abu Dhabi T10 for Bangla Tigers and later took part in another T10 tournament in Sri Lanka. It was during that competition that his bowling ban was announced, forcing him to play solely as a batsman. Since then, he has not featured in any form of recognised cricket.

His expected return to Bangladesh in october for a farewell Test was cut short due to security concerns. Since the fall of the Awami League government on 5 august, Shakib—who was a Member of Parliament under that administration—has remained abroad. He was also excluded from Bangladesh's Champions Trophy squad last month due to his bowling ban.