Last Updated on 6 years by Charbel Coorey
 |
Imagine having a schedule so stupid that it genuinely doesn’t matter where you finish, and where teams are forced to play second string XIs just to give themselves a chance of avoiding burnout. The scheduling has forced the sixth match, like the fifth between Pakistan and India, to be a dead-rubber instead of one that could have at least had some context to it.
Regardless if Bangladesh win this match, the tournament has been set up in such a way that they will play India in Dubai tomorrow. India had to play two days in a row, but at least both were in Dubai, where Bangladesh will have to move from Abu Dhabi to Dubai and play a big game within hours. Mashrafe Mortaza has expressed his disappointment, and it is disappointing that this is the topic of conversation instead of the cricket. With players expected (and rightly so) to be rested, can the fringe players for Bangladesh impress?
For Afghanistan, they are due to play Pakistan. With an extra day’s rest after this clash, they can afford to play the same side that pummeled Sri Lanka, and continue building confidence ahead of the Super Four stage. In the three T20Is between the sides in June, where Afghanistan won 3-0, the spinners were on song. Can the batsmen show the fight they did against Sri Lanka, backed up by Afghanistan’s impressive spin attack, led by birthday boy Rashid Khan?
Key to a Bangladesh win
The big question is – can Bangladesh effectively handle Afghanistan’s spin brigade? Bangladesh, with more experienced players that they are likely to have today, have struggled against quality spin in the past, so positive footwork and rotation of the strike is vital. A player like Mominul Haque could be a good addition today to help hold the innings together.
However, Bangladesh’s best chance is dismissing Afghanistan for a low score. Batting is Afghanistan’s weaker point, so Bangladesh have to target that with the sort of aggressive bowling they displayed against Sri Lanka last Saturday.
Key to an Afghanistan win
Possible teams
Stats and Facts
- Bangladesh have won three of five ODIs vs Afghanistan, but this is the first meeting between the sides in the UAE.
- Afghanistan beat Bangladesh 3-0 in the T20I series earlier this year.
- Mashrafe Mortaza is four wickets away from 250 ODI wickets, and Rahmat Shah will likely play his 50th game today.
Prediction
