DUBAI: Bangladesh captain Jaker Ali won the toss and chose to field first against Pakistan in a virtual semi-final at the Dubai Cricket Stadium on Thursday.
With India already through to the final, this match will decide who joins them on Sunday. Both teams come in with one win and one loss in the Super Four stage. Pakistan recovered from a heavy loss to India with a convincing victory over Sri Lanka, while Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka but stumbled against India in their last outing.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, who rattled Sri Lanka early with the ball, remains Pakistan’s spearhead, backed by Haris Rauf and Faheem Ashraf. Their bowling unit gives Pakistan a slight edge despite inconsistent batting performances throughout the tournament. Mohammad Haris and Salman Agha are expected to anchor the middle order in a must-perform scenario.
For Bangladesh, Rishad Hossain has emerged as a standout performer. The leg-spinner, who impressed during the last T20 World Cup, has taken six wickets in four Asia Cup matches so far, including a spirited spell against India. Captain Litton Das and pace duo Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed will be key to Bangladesh’s hopes of early breakthroughs and controlling the middle overs.
While Pakistan was given the chance to bat first today, the Dubai surface has mostly favoured chasing teams due to its slowing nature and the oppressive heat. India’s win batting first against Bangladesh was the exception rather than the rule. Can Pakistan do the same? Pakistan will back their bowlers to defend whatever total they put up, especially with Afridi likely to strike in the powerplay.
Recent Form
Bangladesh: L W W L W
Pakistan: W L W L W
Squads
Bangladesh: Tanzid Hasan, Saif Hassan, Litton Das (c & wk), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (c), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
