Last Updated on 6 years by Charbel Coorey
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| Image Caption: Sport Credits |
An Asia Cup Semi Final without the official title. Whether you believe Pakistan and Bangladesh are more deserving of a place in the Final than the fantastic Afghanistan, both these sides have the chance to hit top form ahead of the big dance against India. The need to hit top form is vital, as both Pakistan and Bangladesh’s shortcomings have been ruthlessly exposed by India, and if not sorted, there will be only one winner in the Final.
Bangladesh are here by the skin of their teeth. Mashrafe Mortaza is leading a very rocky ship, and with the help of Mahmudullah, Imrul Kayes and Mustafizur Rahman, the ship has not quite sunk yet. The performance against Sri Lanka was convincing, but even myself and ten of my Twitter friends could beat Sri Lanka. Since then, it has been rocky waters for the Bangladesh side, but the opportunity awaits today to lead the ship to safety and book a berth in the Asia Cup Final.
It was always going to be interesting Pakistan fared in this tournament after a fruitful tour of Zimbabwe. Like Bangladesh, a very tight win against Afghanistan has given them a shot the Final, with their performances against India reflective of a side that is craving consistency, especially against the top sides. Pakistan’s top order must step up, and so too the bowlers, who have been very much under par in this tournament. Can Sarfraz Ahmed’s men step up under pressure?
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Key to a Bangladesh win
Key to a Pakistan win
Possible teams
Bangladesh possible XI: 1. Liton Das, 2. Soumya Sarkar/Mominul Haque, 3. Shakib Al Hasan, 4. Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5. Imrul Kayes, 6. Mahmudullah, 7. Mossadek Hossain/Mohammad Mithun, 8. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9. Mashrafe Mortaza (c), 10. Mustafizur Rahman, 11. Nazmul Islam
Pakistan were belted against India, with changes perhaps likely on the bowling front. Mohammad Amir continues to struggle for wickets, which might mean Usman Khan gets a game.
Pakistan possible XI: 1. Imam-Ul-Haq, 2. Fakhar Zaman, 3. Babar Azam, 4. Sarfrax Ahmed (c & wk), 5. Shoaib Malik, 6. Asif Ali, 7. Shadab Khan, 8. Mohammad Nawaz, 9. Mohammad Amir/Usman Khan, 10. Hasan Ali, 11. Shaheen Afridi
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Dream11
- Mushfiqur Rahim is my captain, as he is a fine player and is due a good knock.
- Mahmudullah and Imrul Kayes are good options, with Kayes a possibility of batting higher up the order. Today could be also Imam-ul-Haq’s day.
- Shadab Khan, Shoaib Malik and Shakib Al Hasan are my all-rounders. All three will contribute good points, in my opinion, with Shakib in particular due a good score.
- Usman Khan is a chance of playing today, and this could be a better day for Hasan Ali. Mustafizur Rahman and the economical Mehidy Hasan Miraz are solid options for Bangladesh.
Stats and Facts
- Mohammad Amir has not taken a wicket in his last six ODIs.
- Pakistan have won 31 of 35 ODIs v Bangladesh, but lost 3-0 in 2015, the last meeting between the sides in ODIs.
- Bangladesh beat Pakistan to reach the Final in Asia Cup 2016, which was a T20I tournament.
Prediction
Anything can happen in this one, and I give Bangladesh a genuine chance of winning this. However, in my predictions before the series, I said Pakistan would meet India in the Final, and I will somewhat reluctantly stick to that prediction.
Pakistan to win…. just.
Thanks for reading!
PS, looking to improve your cricketing skills? More wickets? More runs? More fun? Check out some great tips from Cricket Secrets! You can visit here.
