Asia Cup 2023: Faheem Ashraf returns as in-form Pakistan name XI for Bangladesh clash

Courtesy of a terrific win over Nepal and a rain-marred affair against India, Pakistan qualified for the Super Four stage of the ongoing Asia Cup 2023. In their first match of round two, the Men in Green will face Bangladesh, who were sensational in their last match against Afghanistan. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Najmul Hossain Shanto hit centuries, while Taskin Ahmed picked up four wickets, and hence, the match will not be an easy one for the Babar Azam-led side.

Meanwhile, Pakistan have started a new trend and have already announced their playing XI for the match against the Bangla Tigers. Interestingly, Mohammad Nawaz, who failed to perform as per potential in the last match against India, has been dropped for Faheem Ashraf.

Notably, Faheem has represented the team in 32 ODI matches and has picked up 25 wickets in the process. He has been economical so far and can also contribute with the bat if required. Hence, he can prove to be a valuable asset, and most importantly, if he performs up to his potential, the cricketer can very well seal his spot in the playing XI for the match against India and even in the ODI World Cup. 

On the other hand, Pakistan pacers have been incredible so far in the tournament. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf decimated the Indian top order in the last match, while Naseem Shah proved to be impactful. When it comes to spinners, Shadab Khan did a commendable job against Nepal and will be hoping to repeat the same against Bangladesh.

Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmed have been the standout batters so far. Both these cricketers hit their respective centuries against Nepal and, hence, will be full of confidence. Imam-ul-Haq, too, is in brilliant form in ODI cricket at the moment and can prove to be deadly. The only concern will be Fakhar Zaman’s form, as the cricketer hit only 73 runs in his last four innings.