Cricket
Shakib Al Hasan Unfazed by Bowling Action Report: Mentor Salahuddin Remains Confident
Bangladesh star Shakib Al Hasan remains calm despite being reported for a suspect bowling action in England. Longtime mentor Mohammad Salahuddin expresses confidence, attributing the scrutiny to fatigue. Get insights from insiders on Shakib’s focus and plans to address the report
Image Credits: Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via Getty Images
Whenever Bangladesh ace all-rounder Shakib al Hasan had issues with his game, one scene seems to be permanent, he is working with his childhood mentor Mohammad Salahuddin.
Shakib Turns to His Longtime Mentor
Salahuddin, who was recently appointed as the senior assistant coach of Bangladesh team, shares a very good rapport with the left-arm spinner considering they started working together since the latter joined Bangladesh Krira Shikha Protishtan, country’s lone sports institute, to learn the trade of cricket.
So, Shakib calling Salahuddin after being reported with suspected bowling action while playing for Surrey in the County this season did not came as a surprise.
“I have spoken with Shakib after it came out in the media whether he is reported or not while playing for Surrey in this country this season and he said yes it is true as they (umpires) have reported his action and he is well aware about it,” Salahuddin told SportsBoom.com, when his attention was drawn regarding the bowling action saga of Shakib in the county cricket.
Shakib Reports Bowling Action Concerns to Salahuddin
As per media reports, Shakib, who scalped nine wickets for Surrey in a thrilling Championship clash against Somerset at Taunton in September where the all-rounder bowled more than 63 overs in two innings, was asked to undergo analysis of his bowling action by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) as on-field umpires, Steve O'Shaughnessy and David Millns deemed his bowling action to be suspect.
Salahuddin, however, did not look too bothered despite his blue-eyed boy’s bowling action was reported as suspect as he feels it was not intentional rather due to the fact he was exhausted.
“This (being reported for suspect action) is not a big problem. It is not a fact that he cannot bowl anywhere, it is only when he is playing under the jurisdiction, he needs to stop his bowling( before being cleared in the lab) and apart from that he can bowl everywhere,’’ he added.
This is not a big issue and Shakib is not losing his sleep over it and there is nothing to worry about. As far as the test is concerned there is no need to rush.
Shakib Al Hasan
Excessive Overs May Have Led to Scrutiny
“I have been seeing him for the last 17 years and his action never came under scrutiny, but it can happen when a bowler is bowling a lot of overs which he did in that game. He could get tired and could try something else that looked suspicious, but he did not do that intentionally rather out of tiredness.”
Shahidul Alam Ratan, who is currently based in London and working as Director of Cricket at Capital Kids Cricket, echoed the same sentiment while adding he doesn’t feel it’s such a big issue.
No Major Alarm Despite ECB Action
“About the report of Shakib we have seen it in the social media and when the news came out from ESPN then I contacted a very close friend of mine in Surrey who is part of the team (management) and he insisted that it was just an observation and it was not meant to be public but somebody leaked it,” said Ratan, who also worked as a coach in Bangladesh.
I am not sure about the protocol because there can be lot of ways for reporting (suspect bowling action) like you are having some kind of doubts they can ask and cross check with the videos.
Shakib Al Hasan
“All the first-class game does not do live broad cast but there are some fix cameras from they can try to identify or else they can also ask help from the ECB panel and for my own understanding I am trying to know more about it and the manager director of first-class cricket Allan Forlan have communicated with him and he did not responded as yet but he will definitely respond me and I will try to know the protocol,” he said before trying to analyse why his action can come under scrutiny.
Confidence in Shakib’s Recovery and Clearance
“After bowling so many overs he can become tired and just trying to spin the ball he might have bended something though I am not sure how much it happened. That could be the case for the suspected action that was reported but other than I don’t think it will go further and like what I have seen in the media.”
“He will have to go and do bowling in a recognised bowling lab that normally a bowler goes after being reported but I don’t think that will be the case,” he added.
“The incident shock everyone and I have spoken with a level four coach, and he said it’s very unusual why it happened.”
Only future can say what is in store for the all-rounder, but one thing remains certain that his suspect bowling action cannot be termed as such a big issue that it blown away his mind.
Zaigum Azam, who is popularly known as Atif in the cricketing circle of Bangladesh and beyond, is a common face at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. The bearded man had been with cricket since his childhood after being sent to BKSP, country’s lone sports institute to learn the trade, from where leading cricketers of the present generation are groomed like Shakib al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mominul Haque, and Litton Kumar Das among others.