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Cricket Buzz: Bangladesh's Shakib apologises, appeals for reduced ban

Suspended all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan apologised on Sunday and appealed to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to reduce the six-month ban slapped on him earlier this month for misbehaviour.

Bangladesh's most prominent cricketer was punished for what the BCB called a "severe attitude problem" and the board also decided not to allow him to play in overseas competitions until the end of 2015.

"I admitted that my behaviour was not mature. I apologise for this. In future it will not happen again," Shakib, who met BCB chief Nazmul Hassan earlier this week, told reporters.

"I have always been with cricket and will remain with cricket. I want to play cricket for Bangladesh."

Shakib was accused of travelling to the West Indies to play in the Caribbean Premier League Twenty20 tournament without clearance from his board and was subsequently ordered to return to Bangladesh.

The 27-year-old, who has played 34 tests and 136 one-day-internationals, had reportedly threatened to quit playing for the country and had an altercation with coach Chandika Hathurusinghe. Shakib has denied the allegation.

There was no immediate respite from the BCB yet, though.

"The appeal will be resolved at the earliest," Nizam Uddin Chowdhury, BCB's acting chief executive, told reporters.