Shakib’s 2019 transgression lighter than Warner, Smith’s, implies BCB boss

Australia duo Steve Smith and David Warner were not brought into leadership roles by Cricket Australia (CA) following their roles in the ball-tampering row in South Africa which eventually led to them being suspended for 12 months.

Warner was banned from captaincy for life while Smith was banned from captaincy for 12 months after the completion of his sentence. 

Today, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) reinstated Shakib Al Hasan as captain for his third stint. Shakib lost captaincy in October 2019 following a ban by the ICC for breach of ICC's Anti-Corruption Code. Mominul Haque was then announced the captain of the Test side right before the tour of India following Shakib's ban. 

More than two years later, Shakib has been handed the captaincy after Mominul decided he no longer wanted to lead the side in order to focus on batting.

BCB president Nazmul Hassan was asked how fruitful it was to name someone as captain whose integrity had come under question in the past. 

"Whatever options we have in Tests, we felt this was our best option. You will notice something that is different about him [Shakib] compared to others. There was a clear difference between the punishment and the statement which was given to him by the ICC. There is a clear-cut difference and if you see it, you will know," the BCB president skirted around the question's motive.

Although Shakib was banned for two years, the second year of that ban was to be suspended if Shakib did not commit further offences under the ACU code or the anti-corruption code of any national federation and if he participated promptly and fully in any anti-corruption education and/or rehabilitation programmes specified by the ICC. 

Having met those conditions, Shakib had returned to Bangladesh national team with the series against West Indies at home in 2021 and this was the first time he has been handed a leadership role after coming back from the ban.