The premier batsman did not travel with the team which left Dhaka yesterday morning along with India for Chittagong to play the third match tomorrow and the first Test of the two-match series starting from May 18 at the Chittagong Divisional Stadium.

There is only a slim chance that the dashing right-hander will play the final one-dayer in the port city although his temperature has subsided slightly.

It was learnt that the team-management had decided to send him to hospital in the hope that it could help the ace batsman, who felt sick soon after the completion of the second one-dayer in Mirpur on Saturday, recover from the fever quickly.

"It is nothing serious but he has been admitted to the hospital only as a precautionary measure," informed Mahmudur Rahman, chief executive officer of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

Ashraful underwent some regulation tests and the prognosis was that he has been suffering from a viral fever.

It was however learnt that his temperature increased Saturday night but it came down slightly again yesterday. There is pain in his body and he has complained of feeling weak.