Shakib Al Hasan banned: Demonstrations on Bangladesh streets over all-rounder's suspension

Hundreds of people have demonstrated in Bangladesh after cricketer Shakib Al Hasan was banned for two years for "failing to report corrupt approaches".

Shakib, Bangladesh's Test and Twenty20 captain, accepted three charges relating to requests for "inside information for betting purposes".

About 700 people took to the streets in Shakib's hometown Magura, with smaller demonstrations taking place in Dhaka.

Police say crowds made a human chain and called the ban a "conspiracy".

"The protesters shouted slogans and marched along a highway," police chief Saiful Islam told AFP.

Shakib, 32, is the top all-rounder in the one-day international rankings and has played 338 matches for Bangladesh.

One year of Shakib's ban is suspended meaning he will be able to return to the sport on 29 October 2020.

He failed to report approaches during an international tri-series also involving Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in January 2018, and that year's Indian Premier League.

Shahriar Nafees, Shakib's former team-mate, said the country was "stunned, shocked and very sad" at the ban.

Batsman Shahriar, who played 24 Tests, 75 one-day internationals and one T20, said Shakib was "brave" to admit to the charges, adding that the "whole country is behind him".

"We are supporting him because he is one of our biggest assets," he told the BBC's Stumped podcast.

"This situation will be a milestone for Bangladesh cricket and world cricket.

"If you make a mistake, it can cost you big time. And the coming generation will learn from this mistake."

Source: BBC News

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