Asia Cup 2018: Super Four, Match 6, Pakistan vs Bangladesh- Bangladesh Predicted XI

Bangladesh, the other night, somehow lived to survive another day when they edged Afghanistan in a cliffhanger by three wickets in the Super 4 match of the Asia Cup at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Their next match is against Pakistan at the same venue, against whom the Tigers haven’t won any match in the history of the multi-nation tournament, played in the One Day format.

However, the Men in Green have blown hot and cold and Bangladesh aren’t expected to be an easy proposition for them by any stretch of the imagination. Mashrafe Mortaza and Co have had their issues finding their appropriate combination for dishing out consistent performance. In our article, we take a look at Bangladesh’s probable playing lineup for the virtual semi-final.

Opener (Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar)

The opening pair may be a witness to an alteration. Nazmul Hossain Shanto, who hasn’t been able to perform ever since he made his debut, is likely to be left out. The 20-year-old has scored only 20 runs in three appearances in the event. Left-handed batsman Soumya Sarkar last played ODI cricket back in October 2017 and he will take Shanto’s position in the lineup.

On the other hand, the Tigers would be happy for the reason that right-handed batsman Liton showed some fight in the last match against the Afghans, albeit he played a horrendous stroke to give his wicket away to Rashid Khan. In the first three matches, he could manage only 13 runs. The onus will be on the Liton-Soumya duo to take their team off to a handsome start.

Middle-order (Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Imrul Kayes)

The middle-order has undoubtedly become a powerful one with the inclusion of Imrul Kayes, who notched a stupendous half-century in his comeback match. Mushfiqur Rahim’s campaign has gone downhill a wee bit after his masterful knock against Sri Lanka. He gave his wicket away to a rash reverse-sweep against India and then got himself run out against Afghanistan.

However, Pakistan would be wary of the wicketkeeper-batsman’s ability and they won’t make the mistake of undermining him by any means. The Tigers would look up to the Bogra-born cricketer to guide the team with another solid performance. Mohammad Mithun’s form also remains a concern as he has entered into a slump after his fifty against the Lankans.

All-rounders (Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah)

Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah are the all-rounders in the team. Most importantly, they have the experience to perform in crunch moments. Shakib hasn’t had the best of campaigns with the willow but has been more or less been effective with his left-arm orthodox bowling. Mahmudullah would also have gained a lot of confidence after his brilliant knock against Asghar Afghan’s men.

Bowlers (Mashrafe Mortaza (C), Mehidy Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Nazmul Islam)

The bowling lineup remains to be the same as the previous encounter. Shakib has been their standout bowler with seven wickets. Skipper Mashrafe Mortaza has churned out some vital scalps but has conceded runs at over a run-a-ball. On a number of instances, he has been found wanting.

Mustafizur Rahman didn’t quite do well in his first two matches. Nevertheless, his last over against the Afghans where he defended 10 runs off the last over would keep him in a positive frame of mind. Left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam Apu is most likely to be persisted with in the essential encounter.

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