Pak v Ban World T20 Preview: Asian giants begin thier campaign against the in-form Tigers

Pakistan will take on a spirited Bangladesh in an exciting World T20 Super 10 Group 2 encounter in Kolkata tomorrow. Pakistan’s patchy form and fragile confidence in recent times means they can ill afford a defeat in the opening encounter. The team was beaten fair and square by England in Christmas and played poorly in the Asia Cup T20. Bangladesh defeated Pakistan at home in the said tournament and will take confidence from their recent performances.

Pakistan:

Pakistan arrived later than planned in India owing to security concerns of their government. Mohammad Hafeez made a brilliant 70 not out in their 15-run win over Sri Lanka in the warm-up match Pakistan would hope that he continues his fine form. Pakistan has one of the best bowling line-ups in the tourney, however, batting has been their biggest problem in recent times. Mohammad Amir will spearhead the bowling and with Mohammad Irfan and Wahab Riaz, Pakistan has three left-arm quickies can rattle any opposition with speed and accuracy.

Ahmed Shehzad was left out of the squad, however, was selected after the team’s horrendous show in the Asia Cup T20 in Bangladesh. Shehzad played well in the PSL and will want to make a statement to the national selectors. Shoaib Malik and Umar Akmal are two guys who will need to fire if Pakistan is to go all the way while skipper Shahid Afridi’s fast leg-breaks will be relied upon during the middle overs in the innings. If the team can do the basics right, they have the team that can do well in Indian conditions.

Bangladesh:

The year 2015 was a fairytale year for the Tigers. An impressive show in the 2015 World Cup in Australia laid the foundation for domination at home. ODI series wins against Pakistan, India and South Africa showcased the progress the team had made. The doubts about the team’s adaptability in the shortest format of the game were cleared in the Asia Cup T20. The Tigers defeated higher ranked oppositions and finished runners-up at home after failing in the final hurdle against India. Mashrafe Mortaza will lead a side that can challenge every opponent in the tourney.

Tamim Iqbal’s form has been incredible off late. He had a cracking PSL and proved his class in the qualifying rounds in the World T20 with scores of 103 not out, 47 and 83 He and Soumya Sarkar will look to give flying starts to the team. The likes of Mahmudullah, Sabbir Rahman, and Shakib Al Hasan can also use the long handle to good effect and ass depth to a solid batting lineup. The emergence of fast bowlers has been a positive sign for Bangladesh cricket that was guilty of relying too heavily on spinners in the past. The likes of Taskin Ahmed and Al-Amin Hossain have enough pace to trouble the Pakistani top order. Ahmed and Arafat Sunny were reported for suspect action during the qualifiers and it will be interesting to see how they respond while Mustafizur Rahman will want to prove his mettle in the biggest stage.

Pitch and Conditions:

The pitch at the historic Eden Gardens has been in the news for wrong reasons. An outfit Anti-Terrorist Front of India (ATFI), which has been opposing Pakistan team’s participation in the World T20, has threatened to dig up the Eden Gardens pitch. A massive security blanket has covered the entire venue and hotels where the teams, particularly the Pakistan team are staying. The pitch is expected to be on the slower side, however, will largely remain good for batting. This was evident from the warm-up matches that were played.

Form Guide: (Last five completed games most recent first)

Pakistan WLWLL

Bangladesh WWLWW

Probable XI:

Pakistan: Sharjeel Khan, Ahmad Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi (capt), Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Irfan.

Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Shakib Al Hasan,  Mahmudullah, Nasir Hossain, Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Al-Amin Hossain, Arafat Sunny, Taskin Ahmed.

Stats:

1. Shakib Al Hasan needs 4 runs to complete 1000 T20I runs. He is second on the list for Bangladesh which is headed by Tamim Iqbal with 1092 runs.

2. Ahmad Shehzad needs 59 runs to complete 1000 T20I runs. He is the only Pakistani batsman to score a T20I hundred (111*) and that was against Bangladesh in Dhaka.