Pakistan and Bangladesh will face each other in the 9th game of the ongoing edition of the Champions Trophy on 27th February at Rawalpindi.
Match Preview:
Both Pakistan and Bangladesh are out of the Champions Trophy, and they will now be playing only for pride, as both Asian sides have nothing to lose. It has been a below-par tournament for both teams, especially for Pakistan, as they were the hosts.
Both sides have faced similar issues, such as their top orders failing to pile up runs and their bowling units not clicking. However, Bangladesh’s lower order has made some efforts, and their pace attack has been decent. For Pakistan, the lower order showed some fight, and Abrar Ahmed has been outstanding.
For Pakistan, the lack of performances from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan has been a major concern and one of the key reasons for their early exit from the tournament. Rizwan had scored a century in a tri-series before this global tournament, leading many to believe his form was sorted out. However, that was not the case when Pakistan faced New Zealand and India.
Overall, it has been a spineless and clueless campaign for Pakistan, except for Abrar Ahmed, who looked promising, threatening, and economical. Another player who stood out to some extent was Khushdil Shah, who bowled better than expected despite not being a frontline spinner and contributed with the bat as well compared to the rest of the lineup.
One question still lingers: Why did Faheem Ashraf not got a chance?
Moving on to Bangladesh, their top order has been among the runs, and the lower order has chipped in nicely to cover the mess. Najmul Hossain Shanto showed some positive signs against New Zealand and will look to carry that form against Pakistan as well.
Nahid Rana has bowled well and will need to maintain his performance against the home side. Meanwhile, frontline spinners like Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Rishad Hossain will have a crucial role to play, especially with the match being held on a Pindi pitch.
For Bangladesh, veterans like Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim will have to step up to ensure their last ICC game ends with a bang rather than a whimper.
Probable Playing XI:
Pakistan (possible): 1 Imam-ul-Haq/Usman Khan, 2 Babar Azam, 3 Saud Shakeel, 4 Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk), 5 Salman Agha, 6 Tayyab Tahir, 7 Khushdil Shah, 8 Shaheen Shah Afridi/Mohammad Hasnain, 9 Naseem Shah, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Abrar Ahmed
Bangladesh (possible): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 3 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 4 Tohwid Hridoy, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Jaker Ali, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Nahid Rana
Pitch and weather report:
There are chances of rain in the forthcoming game and Pakistan would hope their last game shouldnt be a wash-out. Talking about the pitch it would have been under cover for a lot of the last three days so one can expect mositure. However, a pindi pitch is supposed to act a typical pindi pitch – runfest
Head-to-head record:
Out of the 39 matches played between the two teams, Pakistan has emerged victorious 34 times, showcasing their dominance in the format. On the other hand, Bangladesh has managed to win only 5 matches against their opponents.
Prediction:
If rain doesn’t, Pakistan is likely to win the game given their head-to-head record in the ODIs.
Where to watch:
India: Jio Hotstar,
Pakistan: Myco, Tapmad, and Tamasha app
UAE and MENA: STARZPLAY
USA and Canada: Streaming on Willow by Cricbuzz app (Hindi coverage available)
Caribbean: ESPN Play Caribbean app
Australia: PrimeVideo
New Zealand: SkyGo app.
South Africa and sub-Saharan territories: SuperSport and SuperSport App
Bangladesh: Nagorik TV
Afghanistan: ATN
Sri Lanka: Maharaja TV
