Pakistan and Bangladesh Prepare for Asia Cup Quarter-Final
Dubai: Pakistan and Bangladesh are set to clash in a crucial quarter-final match of the Asia Cup on September 25 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Both teams secured victories over Sri Lanka in the Super Four stage but faced defeats against India. With one spot remaining in the final scheduled for September 28, the winner of this high-stakes encounter will advance to the championship match.
Ahead of the face-off, Bangladesh must address significant issues within their batting lineup. In their recent match against India, Saif Hassan contributed a notable 69 runs off 51 balls; however, the remainder of the batting order struggled, with Parvez Hossain Emon being the second-highest scorer with only 21 runs. Alarmingly, nine of Bangladesh’s players were dismissed for single-digit scores, raising concerns about their batting depth.
Meanwhile, Pakistan is feeling the absence of key players Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan during the Asia Cup. Though the decision to omit them was initially justifiable due to their recent performance, they could have been valuable assets on Dubai’s variable pitch. Current captain Salman Agha and his teammates have not performed to expectations, particularly after suffering two losses against their arch-rivals India. Ultimately, the team that minimizes mistakes on game day is likely to secure a place in the final.
Pakistan vs. Bangladesh Head-to-Head
Historically, Pakistan leads in head-to-head encounters against Bangladesh. However, in the last three matches, the team led by Litton Das has emerged victorious in two instances.
Squads
Pakistan Squad: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (c), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Salman Mirza, Sufiyan Muqeem, Khushdil Shah, Hasan Nawaz.
Bangladesh Squad: Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Litton Das (wk/c), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Nurul Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Rishad Hossain, Parvez Hossain Emon, Tanzim Hasan Sakib.
