Shakib Al Hasan set to bat at No.3 against Sri Lanka
Minhajul Abedin, the Bangladesh Chief Selector, has all but confirmed that Shakib Al Hasan will bat at No.3 in the upcoming three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, starting on May 23. The southpaw had earlier batted in the middle-order in his comeback series against the West Indies.
Shakib Al Hasan would have missed the upcoming ODI series if not for the indefinite postponement of IPL 2021. Bangladesh tried Nazmul Hossain and Soumya Sarkar at No.3 against West Indies and New Zealand earlier in the year. But both failed to come up with influential performances to seal the spot for themselves.
Bangladesh are now set to rely on the experience of Shakib Al Hasan at No.3 against Sri Lanka, confirmed the chief selector.
“He (Shakib) will bat at three against Sri Lanka (in the ODI’s). That (No.3) is the best place for him and we feel he will have the time to settle down before launching in the middle," said Minhajul Abedin as quoted by Daily News Sri Lanka.
Shakib Al Hasan missed the New Zealand tour as the all-rounder decided to take a paternity leave to be with his wife for the birth of his third child.
Shakib returned to international cricket this year after serving a one-year ban. The 34-year-old was earlier found guilty of three charges under the ICC's Anti-Corruption Code.
Shakib Al Hasan's recent form
Shakib Al Hasan played in the ODI series against West Indies earlier this year, with Bangladesh winning the contest 3-0.
Shakib was at his influential best and showed no signs of rustiness after returning to international cricket following his ban. The all-rounder claimed six wickets and bowled at an economy rate of 2.26 in the series. On the batting front, he scored 113 runs at an average of 56.50.
Shakib was then part of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. He played three games before being dropped in favor of Sunil Narine. The Bangladesh star picked up two wickets, bowling at an economy of 8.4. But Shakib failed to make an impact with the bat, scoring just 38 runs at an average of 12.6.