Shakib passes beep test in style

 
Bangladesh top all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan who was under the scanner for violating quarantine rules after returning home last Thursday, has shut his critics down by claiming top spot in the beep test with an incredible 13.7 score conducted by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) in Mirpur  on Wednesday.

Many people thought Shakib's fitness level is not up to the mark because he was in the United States.  Many also said that Shakib would not get a pass mark in the fitness test taken by the BCB for the forthcoming Bangabandhu Cup. But the number one Shakib Khan proved everyone's opinion wrong in fashion. He not only surpassed the bench mark but also achieved the highest mark. To put it more clearly, he is the best out of 113 cricketers.
"Shakib showed how serious he was as far as the fitness is concerned. He worked hard always to keep him fit, during the time when he was away from the cricket," BCB trainer Tusher Kanti Howlader said on Wednesday.

"He scored 13.7, which is the highest amongst the players who appeared for the beep test this time. This is really something what we expected from a top class player like him." Mehedi Hasan, a young pacer, scoring 13.6 with left arm spinner Nihad Uz Zaman scoring 13.4 were topping in the last two days but Shakib eclipsed them with best scoring. Shakib was supposed to take the fitness test on the first day of the fitness test on November 9. But the Tiger administration decided to take his fitness test on Wednesday to test him well. Two fast bowlers Hasan Mahmud and Yassin Arafat Mishu also gave beep test on Wednesday with Shakib.

"An elite player like him thinks differently always. Shakib didn't compromise with his fitness and reaped the rewards in the fitness test," Tusher Kanti said. Bangladesh ace all-rounder Shakib who completed his one-year anti-corruption rule violation ban on October 29 has recently regained his spot as the number one all-rounder in ODIs. Shakib is topping in the latest ODI all-rounder ranking chart with 373 rating points.

Shakib last played in ICC World Cup last year before he was handed a two-year ban, with a one-year suspended sentence, by ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit on October 29 last year, for failing to report multiple corrupt approaches by an Indian bookmaker. Shakib is all set to back in international cricket with Bangladesh's next international assignment against West Indies with in January 2021. The ace all-rounder is set to back in action with a T20 tournament organized by the BCB later this month.

A total of 113 cricketers took part in the two-day fitness test organized by the BCB. Tuesday was the second and final day of the fitness test. The mandatory test was conducted to determine the fitness levels of players who are expected to be in the draft for the forthcoming Bangabandhu T20 tournament.

Although the BCB first had allowed players with scores as low as 9 to participate in the domestic circuit but later the BCB decided that the players would need to score at least 11 points in the beep test in order to be allowed to play in the domestic cricket.