Daijiworld Media Network
Pallekele, Sep 25: It's the last day of the group stages of this tournament. Bangladesh will have to win by a big margin if they are to knock Pakistan out of the tournament. Going by the performance of both teams in their respective first matches, it looks quite unlikely. The good news is that it's not raining, so we should get a full game today. Stay tuned...
Pitch Report: Simon Doull says 'There is some light rain expected later in the day. The pitch looks like a belter. There is a fair covering of grass. There is some moisture on this pitch and the pace bowlers will get some seam movement. The team that wins the toss should bowl first.'
Bangladesh have won the toss and elected to bat
Hafeez: 'We are taking this as a normal game and we hope to put up a good show. The wicket will assist the fast bowlers and we hope to restrict them to a low total. We have an unchanged team.'
Rahim: 'We will bat first as we want to put the runs on the board. This is a must-win game for us. We are a better team than what we performed three days ago. Abul Hasan replaces Elias Sunny.'
Teams:
Pakistan (Playing XI): Mohammad Hafeez(c), Imran Nazir, Nasir Jamshed, Kamran Akmal(w), Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Yasir Arafat, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal
Bangladesh (Playing XI): Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Ashraful, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim(w/c), Mahmudullah, Nasir Hossain, Ziaur Rahman, Mashrafe Mortaza, Abul Hasan, Abdur Razzak, Shafiul Islam
Match preview :
The league phase of the T20 cup has reached its climax with only the final spot to be filled in the race for the Super 8s. Bangladesh and Pakistan are locked in the battle for that last spot and form and past results say that it will take Bangladesh more than just a minor miracle to upstage the 2009 champions.
Qualification Scenarios: Pakistan have a simple task on hand, a straightforward win or even a loss by a small margin will ensure their spot in the Super 8s.
The 'Tigers' as the Bangladeshis are famously called are up against the wall. They need to win by a big margin to ensure a spot in the next phase of the tournament.
Pakistan had to wait for a long time to make their bow into the tournament. The wait was worth though as they showed no rustiness while dismantling New Zealand. Mohammad Hafeez will have little to complain as the team settled into a fine fettle. The top-order laid the platform, the middle order consolidated while the finishers did their work towards the end. The bowlers did not let down the team in the defence of a challenging score with spinner, Saeed Ajmal leading the way. Complacency should be the only thing that Pakistan must guard themselves against as they seek an entry into the Super 8s.
On the other hand, Bangladesh have left themselves with too much to do. A net run-rate of -2.95 does not compare well with that of Pakistan which is +0.65. Add to that, the poor record of Bangladesh against their opponents, they have never won a T20I match having lost on all five previous occasions make this task look like a mountain too steep to climb. The bowling was one dimensional against New Zealand, the excessive dependence on their spinners hurt them on a track that seemed to suit the pacers better. With the exception of young Nasir Hossain, the batsmen seemed to be in a hurry and paid the penalty. The tigers are cornered and it looks like this is one maze that they will find difficult to get through.
Stats and Trivia:
Bangladesh have an unflattering record in T20 Cup history having won just 1 of their 10 matches. The lone win came against west Indies, their first match in the 2007 T20 Cup and since then have lost 9 in a row.
Quotes:
Playing Pakistan is a big challenge because their bowling is good but we want to put up our best to qualify for the next round - Mushfiqur Rahim knows the challenge ahead of his team.
We are not thinking that we have already qualified, we have to win against Bangladesh - Mohammad Hafeez has his feet firmly under the ground.
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