Legendary Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has admitted that he had chucked while bowling for Surrey in an English County Championship match. But he blamed extreme physical fatigue for the same act that eventually got him suspended from bowling.

The left-arm spinner was barred from bowling in all England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) events after his actions were deemed illegal by an independent examination at Loughborough University in December last year.  

On-field umpires first reported Shakib's action during Surrey's first-class match against Somerset at Taunton, in which he bowled nearly 65 overs in two innings.

“I think I was doing it a little bit intentionally because I bowled more than 70 overs in one match. I have never bowled 70 overs in a Test match in my career. I was playing that four-day match for Surrey against Somerset at Taunton, and I was completely exhausted.

I had just played back-to-back Test matches in Pakistan, which we won, and then went straight into those four-day matches. The only thing I felt the umpire could have done was at least warn me first. But it is in the rules, so they had the right. I did not complain,” Shakib said on the Beard Before Wicket podcast.

Shakib claimed that he first failed the action correction test before eventually correcting the problem.

“I went to do the test, and I failed. Then I saw the footage and realized, ‘Okay, so these things are happening.’ After that, I trained for a couple of weeks. I went back to Surrey, and they were kind enough to help me. I did two sessions, and I was back to normal. I was like, ‘It’s so easy,’” Shakib added.

Shakib, 39, is a former member of the Bangladesh Parliament and had to leave the country last year after Sheikh Hasina’s government was overthrown. Since then, he has retired from Test cricket and has not been selected for Bangladesh's white-ball teams.

Shakib later failed a second bowling assessment in Chennai, and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) selectors excluded him from the Champions Trophy roster. However, the board stated that he was still available for selection as a batsman in both domestic and international cricket tournaments.

Shakib also stated that he aspires to return home to play one final series in all three forms before retiring from international cricket. The 38-year-old admitted that he has not fully retired from all formats yet.

“I am officially not retired from all formats. This is the first time I am revealing this. My plan is to go back to Bangladesh, play one full series of ODIs, Tests, and T20Is, and then retire. I want to play a whole series and retire. That is what I want,” Shakib stated.

Since announcing his retirement from T20 Internationals following his 71st Test match against India last year, Shakib has not participated in any international cricket matches. Due to his political background, the interim administration was unable to ensure his safety as he attempted to play a final Test at home during the series against South Africa.