Pakistan, Bangladesh to play for delight after Champions Trophy exit
Who: Pakistan vs Bangladesh
What: ICC Champions Trophy Group A match
When: Thursday, February 27 at 2pm (09:00 GMT)
The place: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Observe Al Jazeera’s reside textual content and picture commentary stream from 05:00 GMT.
Pakistan’s hurting gamers shall be motivated by delight of their lifeless rubber in opposition to Bangladesh, head coach Aaqib Javed stated, after the hosts had been dumped out of the Champions Trophy within the group stage.
The defending champions’ hopes of reaching the semifinals had been ended after defeats to New Zealand and India, leaving their closing Group A recreation in Rawalpindi inconsequential.
Rain washed out the Australia-South Africa Group B match on Tuesday and extra is predicted on Thursday, leaving Pakistan at risk of ending fourth and final on web run-rate.
No matter occurs, it is going to be a disappointing conclusion to Pakistan’s first internet hosting of a significant worldwide cricket competitors in three many years.
“There aren’t any excuses, there shouldn’t be any in life, however I can guarantee you that the gamers are extra harm than the followers and need to depart a mark within the final recreation,” stated Aaqib on Wednesday.
“The gamers usually are not happy, nobody is happy after dropping, however everybody tries onerous to win, and by doing so, we’ve lately gained a sequence in Australia and South Africa.”
Pakistan beat Australia 2-1 in November – their first ODI sequence win there for 22 years – earlier than whitewashing South Africa 3-0 within the build-up to the Champions Trophy.
“That is the Champions Trophy, the place the eight finest groups are taking part in, so after two defeats we’ve to start out from zero,” stated Aaqib.
“Each recreation is performed for delight, so we need to depart a mark on Thursday,” stated Aaqib.
Their Champions Trophy flop left former Pakistan gamers and followers indignant over the continual failure of the workforce, having additionally crashed out of the 2023 World Cup and Twenty20 World Cup final 12 months, each within the first spherical.
Aaqib admitted dropping to archrivals India left followers emotional.
“Persons are extra concerned in an India-Pakistan match and they don’t settle for a defeat in opposition to India and that defeat in Dubai has left them extra dejected,” stated Aaqib.
Pakistan had been under par in opposition to a formidable India in Dubai on Sunday, dropping by six wickets.
“We managed simply 241 in batting and when going through a robust batting line-up, you assault as a way to get wickets, and within the course of, you bowl on either side,” stated Aaqib.
A quick bowler himself, who performed 22 Checks and 163 ODIs for Pakistan, Aaqib backed his struggling tempo trio.
“Folks blamed two, three gamers, which isn’t right,” stated Aaqib. “In case you assess Shaheen [Afridi], Naseem [Shah] and Haris [Rauf], they’re nonetheless one of the best bowlers on the earth.”
Pakistan vs Bangladesh: Head-to-head file
By way of match outcomes, Pakistan maintain an higher hand over their South Asian opponents in all codecs of the sport.
In ODIs, the hosts have crushed Bangladesh in 34 of their 39 encounters with the final one coming on the World Cup 2023 in India.
Bangladesh’s first of 5 wins got here on the World Cup 1999 in England, the place they famously beat the mighty Pakistan facet of the Nineteen Nineties within the group stage.
The groups have by no means confronted one another within the Champions Trophy’s eight earlier editions.
Type information: Pakistan
The hosts got here into the event on the again of three ODI sequence wins however swiftly left the shape behind to lose their first two group matches. From their misfiring batting lineup to poor fielding and below-par bowling, not a lot has gone Pakistan’s approach within the event.
Final 5 ODIs: L W L L L
Discussion board information: Bangladesh
Bangladesh’s kind in ODI cricket has been abysmal of late, with the Tigers dropping all three matches away to West Indies in December on the again of a 2-1 sequence loss in opposition to Afghanistan in November.
Final 5 ODIs: L L L L L
Workforce information: Pakistan
Pakistan might decide to make a few modifications of their lineup for his or her final group match as it’s inconsequential to their destiny within the event. Center-order batter Tayyab Tahir might lose his spot to Kamran Ghulam, whereas the hosts may additionally be tempted to fit in Usman Khan for Imam-ul-Haq.
Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain, wicketkeeper),Salman Ali Agha (vice captain), Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi
Workforce information: Bangladesh
Bangladesh are anticipated to subject the identical XI that confronted New Zealand on Monday.
Squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper), Towhid Hridoy, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan, Nahid Rana
