SA v BAN: Shakib Al Hasan stays back for third ODI after initially pulling out of remaining games

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was set to pull out of the rest of the South Africa tour as some of his family members are hospitalized due to various ailments. Hasan played the first two ODIs where his side won the first and lost the second. Talking about his contributions with the bat and ball, the left-hander scored 77 runs but could not pick a wicket in the first game. In the second game, he scored a duck and took only one wicket.

The three-match ODI series is currently levelled 1-1. Bangladesh will be keen on winning the final game and picking their first series win over South Africa in South Africa. Post the ODIs, the two-match Test series will start on March 31 in Durban. Meanwhile, Bangladesh team director Mahmud Khalid revealed that the left-hander was in a dilemma whether to leave or stay and decided to serve the nation. Shakib will now return home after the third ODI.

“A number of his family members are sick so he is in hesitation,” Mahmud said from Centurion. “He is speaking to his family about whether he needs to return to Dhaka. We have had to book a few tickets for him in the last few days. We booked a ticket today as well because he was supposed to leave today. But Shakib turned it down himself. He will return after playing [the third ODI]. Definitely, he was supposed to return home, which Jalal (Yunus, chairman of the BCB’s cricket operations committee) bhai said earlier in the day. But shortly afterwards, Shakib decided that he will leave after playing (the third ODI),” he added.