BAN vs PAK: Kamrul Rabbi, Parvez Hossain added to Bangladesh squad ahead of final T20I

Pacers Kamrul Islam Rabbi and batter Parvez Hossain Emon have been added to the Bangladesh T20I squad ahead of the final match of the three-match series against Pakistan, who have gained an unassailable lead of 2-0 in the series.

“Pace bowler Kamrul Islam Rabbi and batsman Parvez Hossain Emon have been added to the Bangladesh squad for the third and final match of the Alesha Holdings T20 international series against Pakistan on 22 November,” the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said in a statement.

Pakistan handed Bangladesh a four-wicket defeat Shere Bangla National Stadium on November 19 in the opener, chasing down the 128-run target with four balls to spare.

The hosts had previously dominated both Australia and New Zealand at home before the T20 World Cup and were expected to extend their streak, but an unimpressive batting effort after opting to bat first meant they could only manage 127/7, which Pakistan chased on the back of Fakhar Zaman (36-ball 34) and Khushdil Shah (35-ball 34) and few lusty blows from Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz.

The second rubber produced an even more disappointing result as batting-first Bangladesh were kept down an underwhelming 108/7, which Pakistan chased thanks again to Zaman’s unbeaten 57 off 51 alongside Mohammad Rizwan’s sedate 39 off 45 on another sluggish surface.

That it was not the easiest of tracks to bat on was well-highlighted when Pakistan took 18.1 overs to chase down the smallish target. “The way wicket was playing, it was not easy early on to play my shots and with time, we were trying to build a partnership, and we succeeded,” Player of the Match Zaman said after the match.

“Thankfully, we finished it. To be honest, it was better than yesterday’s surface but still not the ideal track for us. Whenever you play outside your country, it’s very important to win games. We will keep trying hard in the next game too,” he added.

“The series win is a team effort. The boys responded well as a unit and we carried forward the momentum (from the WC). Bowlers did really well, especially in the last 10 overs and it always helps when you get wickets in bunches,” Babar Azam, the winning skipper said.