Apology not enough, Shakib Al Hasan’s inexcusable behaviour deserves action from BCB
Usually seen mesmerising his fans with the bat and ball, Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan acted disgracefully on the field in a Dhaka T20 League game on Thursday (June 11). Not once but twice, Shakib completely lost his temper and behaved poorly against the on-field umpire.
The incident, the clips of which went viral over social media yesterday afternoon, took place during a match from the ongoing Dhaka Premier League T20. Playing for Mohammedan Sporting Club against Abahani Limited, Shakib Al Hasan unleashed his anger on the umpire.
Despite his experience, Shakib firstly kicked the stumps with his legs after an LBW appeal was turned down. He later protested the moment when the umpire called off play due to bad weather by uprooting the stumps and smashing them on the turf.
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Shit Shakib..! You cannot do this. YOU CANNOT DO THIS. #DhakaLeague It’s a shame. pic.twitter.com/WPlO1cByZZ
— Saif Hasnat (@saifhasnat) June 11, 2021
The second incident was about the timing for the DLS, as the umpire decided to take the players off after 5.5 overs when another delivery would’ve brought the rain rule in play and an outright result would’ve been in the offing. The bone of contention for Shakib Al Hasan was this one delivery that his team wasn’t allowed to bowl.
One more… Shakib completely lost his cool. Twice in a single game. #DhakaLeague Such a shame! Words fell short to describe these… Chih… pic.twitter.com/iUDxbDHcXZ
— Saif Hasnat (@saifhasnat) June 11, 2021
Apology not enough, Shakib Al Hasan’s inexcusable behaviour deserves action from BCB
Criticised widely, Shakib Al Hasan apologised for his behaviour through a Facebook post, citing lost temper and hoping that it never happens again.
An apology, however, is simply not good enough for the way Shakib conducted himself on the field despite being a cricketer of such repute, who is an icon, an inspiration to young Bangladeshi players aspiring to play for their country one day.
At a time when on-field conduct in Bangladesh – at junior and senior levels both – is a serious issue and portrays a bad image for the country, the incident doesn’t help the cause at all, especially if Shakib is allowed to get away with just an apology. He might have had the umpire under scanner within his head for those calls, but nothing excuses the way Shakib reacted.
Since the incident is from a domestic game, the ICC can’t get involved, but the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) certainly can. Whatever the response maybe, the BCB needs to be quite strict about it. The board is indeed partly responsible amidst all this, as it isn’t the first instance of bad behaviour by a Bangladeshi cricketer.
Thus, punishing Shakib alone and dusting off their hands won’t suffice. The BCB must accept their own role in the matter and then look to dwell deep and ensure there is proper awareness among the players coming through about the code of conduct expected of them. It’s an opportunity BCB must not let go of, or else you’ll only have more of such incidents.