Asian rivals are set to lit up the majestic Eden Gardens in Kolkata as Pakistan and Bangladesh lock horns in a must-win game on Tuesday. With four points in their kitty, Babar Azam & Co have a slight edge over the Bangla Tigers who registered their lone victory against Afghanistan. With the door to the semis almost closed for both teams, they will now fight to secure a place in the 2025 Champions Trophy which will see the top 7 teams of the ongoing tournament fight for the title.
PAK vs BAN ICC World Cup 2023 Live
Meanwhile, Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat first in Kolkata. Skipper Shakib Al Hasan said the side has done things in bits and pieces so far which they will look to overcome against Pakistan. The Tigers have made a change – Mehidy is out and has been replaced by Towhid Hridoy.
“We will bat first, looks like a dry wicket, we played the last game here, it was slow and there was a turn. We have nothing to lose, we have to play well in the first 10 overs and hopefully we can go from there. We haven’t been consistent enough, we have been doing bits and pieces but haven’t performed collectively and that has been disappointing. There isn’t much difference between here and Dhaka in terms of culture so hopefully, we will have some good support,” Shakib said after winning the toss.
Babar Azam, on the other hand, said Pakistan would have batted first as well, adding that he would go for a big innings when he faces the Bangladesh attack. Speaking about the changes, Babar said Fakhar Zaman, Agha Salman and Usama Mir are back in the mix, replacing Imam-ul-Haq, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz.
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“We would also like to bat first. There might be some swing in it early on because there is some moisture in it. Last match we were good in all three departments. There was some good energy. I am also waiting for a big innings, I will try to convert it into a hundred. Three changes, Imam, Shadab and Nawaz out. Fakhar, Salman and Usama in,” Babar said.
Here are the playing XIs:
Bangladesh: Litton Das, Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan(c), Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Mahmudullah, Towhid Hridoy, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam.
Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(w), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Shaheen Afridi, Usama Mir, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Haris Rauf
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