Bangladesh and Pakistan meet in the third and final ODI of their bilateral series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka, on Sunday, March 15. Bangladesh, at the time of writing, have taken a 1-0 lead in the series after winning the first game. They will, quite naturally, be intent on securing the series as soon as possible. This series against Pakistan comes at the right time for Bangladesh, since they opted out of participating in the just-concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup due to security reasons. Their players will be able to showcase their form and quality in this series.
Pakistan’s batting unit appears to be quite inexperienced. Only the likes of Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha show some steel. With Sahibzada Farhan thrown into the side, the Pakistanis want to prioritise youth over experience. Farhan was the leading runscorer of the T20 World Cup. He was handed his maiden ODI cap in the first ODI, but he could only get a start till 27 and not convert it further. Pakistan’s other weakness lies in their bowling department, since the likes of Mohammad Wasim Jr and captain Shaheen Afridi have been unable to get any movement from these pitches in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh’s bowlers, meanwhile, had a good time in the first ODI. Seamer Nahid Rana picked up a five-wicket haul and will be expected to continue firing on all cylinders. Rana was helped out in good measure by captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who scalped three wickets. With the bat in hand, opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim will be keen on extending his fine run, especially after he scored a brisk, 42-ball 67 on Wednesday. Tamim is one of the brightest young stars of this Bangladeshi unit, and fans expect him to lead the country well into the next decade.
Predicted Teams
BAN: Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Litton Das (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (c), Towhid Hridoy, Afif Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Nahid Rana.
PAK: Sahibzada Farhan, Maaz Sadaqat, Shamyl Hussain, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Agha, Hussain Talat, Abdul Samad, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi (c), Mohammad Wasim Jr, Abrar Ahmed.
Key Players
Nahid Rana (BAN): Seamer Nahid Rana is among those few Bangladeshi cricketers who can offer a wide range of services, albeit with one skillset. Rana is a fast bowler who can hit the deck hard, but he can also get the ball to seam around. He is someone who can take the pace off the ball in the slog overs too, forcing batters to create their own power. The five-wicket haul Rana took on Wednesday will give him the confidence to carry on.
Shaheen Afridi (PAK): It is high time that Pakistan captain Shaheen Afridi stands tall and delivers for his side. He was not treated well by batters in the T20 World Cup, and he picked up just one wicket on Wednesday. When he first emerged onto the scene, Afridi could get the ball to move back into the right-handers, but of late, this does not seem to be working for him. The left-arm pacer could also get the ball to seam, and this is what Pakistan will rely on.
Match Prediction
Bangladesh have consistently shown their prowess and strength in these conditions. We expect them to win comfortably. Pakistan have not been able to adapt well. They put up a rather sorry performance on Wednesday, getting all out for a mere 114 runs on the board. The lack of experience in their squad – remember the exclusion of Babar Azam – has hurt them deeply. This is exactly what Bangladesh will continue using to their advantage.
