Pakistan and Bangladesh will face each other in the virtual semi-final of the ongoing Asia Cup on 25th September at Dubai.
Match Preview:
This match is set to be a classic, thrilling and entertaining contest as Pakistan and Bangladesh face off in what is essentially a semi-final. The winner will advance to meet India in the final on September 28th.
Pakistan has performed strongly in this Asia Cup so far. Despite a loss to India, they made a notable recovery against Sri Lanka.
New and unexpected heroes emerged in the batting lineup during their last game. Hussain Talat and Muhammad Nawaz formed a crucial partnership after Pakistan struggled, losing four wickets for just 12 runs while chasing 134.
Pakistan will be counting on Shaheen Shah Afridi to deliver a strong performance with the new ball. Afridi’s success often correlates with the team’s chances of winning. In the last game, he quickly dismantled Sri Lanka’s opening batsmen, providing his side with early momentum and hope.
Pakistan might consider replacing Saim Ayub with Hasan Nawaz or Khushdil Shah. Ayub has yet to make a significant impact in this Asia Cup, and Hasan has a stronger track record against Bangladesh’s spinner, Rishad Hossein. Although based on limited data, Nawaz has scored 79 runs off 33 balls against Rishad, with a strike rate of 239.
Bangladesh has also performed well in this tournament. They appear to be a young team in transition, playing positively in segments. Their performances against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka were strong, and their bowling was effective against India.
Rishad took 2 wickets for 27 runs, and Tanzim Hasan also bowled effectively. In batting, Saif Hassan is proving to be a player to watch, having scored two consecutive fifties. His fifty against India should give him confidence as he faces Pakistan.
The team hopes that Taskin Ahmed and Litton Das will be fit for this game.
Looking back at their most recent T20I meeting, the two sides faced off in Mirpur, where Pakistan emerged victorious. However, Bangladesh ultimately won that series.
Probable Playing XI:
Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Saif Hassan, 3 Litton Das (capt & wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Shamim Hossain, 6 Jaker Ali, 7 Rishad Hossain, 8 Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 9 Nasum Ahmed, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur Rahman
Pakistan (probable): 1 Sahibzada Farhan, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Saim Ayub, 4 Salman Agha (capt), 5 Hussain Talat, 6 Mohammad Haris (wk), 7 Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Abrar Ahmed
Pitch and weather report:
Even though India won batting first against Bangladesh, the pitch in Dubai is still slow and a little challenging for the team batting first. Because of the heat, teams will probably field first.
Head-to-head record:
Pakistan and Bangladesh have met each other 25 times in this format with Pakistan winning 20 games.
Where to Watch:
India: Sony Liv app and website (sonyliv.com).
Pakistan: Tamasha and Myco
Sri Lanka: Dialog ViU app
Bangladesh: Toffee and Tapmad.
UAE and Mena region: StarzPlay
Afghanistan: Toffee app and websites
