Bangladesh star Shakib Al Hasan raises $24,000 after auctioning 2019 World Cup bat

Money raised for country's fight against coronavirus pandemic

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - JULY 02: Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh scoops a shot to the legside as India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant looks on during the Group Stage match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 betShow more

Former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan raised almost $24,000 (Dh88,000) for the country's coronavirus campaign by auctioning the bat he used to score 606 runs at the 2019 World Cup in England.

The winning bid in the online auction came from a New York-based Bangladeshi, said Arif Hossain, co-founder of an organisation established to raise funds for charity.

"It was our first initiative. We are really happy by the response," Hossain told AFP.

Star all-rounder Shakib was banned for two years last year for failing to report being approached by a match-fixers. With one year of his ban suspended, he is due to resume international cricket in October 2020.

Hussain said the money raised would be given to a foundation started by Shakib, but gave no other details.

The auction came two days after more than 140 workers at a crab farm owned by Shakib staged a protest to complain about not being paid.

Shakib said he was not involved in the day-to-day operations of the farm but would take action.

"My co-owners and working partners failed to inform me properly of what was going on over the last few months," he said in a statement.

He said he paid the employees some 1.9 million taka (Dh84,000) on Wednesday. Bangladesh has officially reported 4186 coronavirus infections and 127 deaths.

________________

2019 World Cup final