Hats off to Shakib: Mashrafe
“He was free to return home, but he stayed with the team and supported the team.”
Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, the former captain of Bangladesh, has praised Shakib Al Hasan for the sacrifice he made during the South Africa series.
Before the third match of the series, five members of Shakib's family were hospitalized for different illnesses. It was expected that Shakib would return home to stay with his family. But the allrounder preferred to stay with the team for the series-deciding third and last match.
"We have to see the sacrifice that Shakib made in this series," Masrhafe said on Sunday. "He was free to return home, but he stayed with the team and supported the team."
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Bangladesh eventually won the last match of the series against South Africa and won the series as well— their first in South Africa.
"The biggest thing is Shakib's desire to win the series. Hats off to Shakib (for what he has done)! He managed two sides in a great way," Mashrafe added.
Earlier, Shakib was reluctant to tour South Africa due to, as he said, mental fatigue. But he eventually traveled with the team and won the player of the match award in the first match of the series.
The all-rounder is currently at home. But he is expected to join the national team for the second Test starting on April 8 at St George's Park, Port Elizabeth.
