Pakistan will take on Bangladesh in match number 31 of the 2023 ODI World Cup at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Tuesday, October 31. Both Pakistan and Bangladesh have had disappointing campaigns in the ongoing edition. If we look at the points table after 30 matches, Pakistan are languishing in seventh position with four points from six matches. They began with two wins but have since lost four matches in a row. In their last game, they suffered a painful one-wicket loss to South Africa. Bangladesh are ninth with one win after six games. In their last match, they got hammered by the Netherlands by 87 runs.
Pakistan’s loss to Proteas in Chennai would seem like a missed opportunity. Batting first, they posted 270 on the board when they could have finished with 300. With the ball, they reduced South Africa to 260/9 but failed to finish off the game as the Proteas escaped another choke. Bangladesh were abysmal against the Dutch in Kolkata. They allowed the Netherlands to recover from 63/4 to post 229. In the chase, they folded up for 142 in 42.2 overs. Here are five player battles to watch out for in the Pakistan vs Bangladesh clash.
Babar Azam vs Shoriful Islam
Pakistan captain Babar Azam will be under plenty of pressure after all the controversy surrounding the team in recent days. First, former captain Rashid Latif leveled allegations that the PCB chief is not responding to his calls. Then, his private chat with the PCB COO was leaked to the media. A day ahead of the match, Inzamam-ul-Haq also resigned as chief selector over conflict of interest claims. On a personal note, Babar has scored three fifties in the World Cup, but they have not come in dominating mode. Can he play an impactful knock with the vigour of a leader?
Bangladesh left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam has had a mixed time in the World Cup. In six matches, he has claimed eight wickets, but at the same time, he has also gone for a lot of runs. He registered figures of 3/75 against England, 1/76 against South Africa and a much better 2/51 versus Netherlands. Shoriful seems like someone who buys his wickets in exchange for a few runs. Can he find a way past Pakistan skipper Babar?
Tanzid Hasan vs Shaheen Afridi
Batting has been a huge problem for Bangladesh in the 2023 World Cup. Their consistency has just not been there. If we talk about Tanzid Hasan, he has only one half-century to show from six visits to the crease. Tanzid scored 5 against Afghanistan, 1 against England, 16 against New Zealand, 51 versus India, 12 against South Africa and 15 against the Netherlands. Can he find a good knock and give a kick-start to Bangladesh’s innings against Pakistan?
At the start of the innings, Tanzid will face a big challenge in the form of Pakistan left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi. The 23-year-old has been among the wickets for Pakistan and has lifted their hopes time and again, although the end result has not been in their favour. After an underwhelming start, Afridi claimed 2/36 in the loss to India. He followed it up with a come-from-behind five-for in the game against Australia. Versus South Africa in the last match as well, it was Afridi who brought Pakistan back into the contest with impressive figures of 3/45. He likes taking early wickets, and the left-arm seamer would be confident of knocking over Tanzid early.
Mohammad Rizwan vs Mehidy Hasan Miraz
After a fantastic start to the 2023 World Cup, Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan’s batting seems to have gone off the boil in the last few games. The right-handed batter played a key role in the win over the Netherlands, compiling a hard-fought 68. He followed it up with a terrific 131 not out in the record-breaking chase against Sri Lanka. Rizwan followed it up with 40s against India and Australia but has been dismissed for 8 and 31 in the last two games. Pakistan will be desperate for Rizwan to find his mojo back.
Rizwan remains a dangerous player against spin. Hence, his tussle with off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz could be decisive. Mehidy began with a three-fer against Afghanistan and claimed two wickets against India. However, he hasn’t done much with the ball apart from the two performances. Bowling to Rizwan will be a challenge for Mehidy. He definitely loves one, but whether he can outfox the experienced Pakistan batter is the bigger question.
Mahmudullah vs Haris Rauf
Veteran batter Mahmudullah’s performances have been among the few positives for Bangladesh in an otherwise disappointing campaign. He has batted lower down the order yet has registered scores of 41, 46, and 111 in three of his last four innings. His hundred against South Africa came in a losing cause, but it was a quality knock against a quality attack. Bangladesh will want him to shine in the death overs against Pakistan as well.
Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf has lifted himself after a disappointing first few games in the 2023 World Cup. He claimed 2/62 against South Africa, dismissing Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi to keep his team in the hunt. The catch he took to dismiss Ngidi was a sensational one. To be fair to Rauf, he has been a bit unlucky as well in the competition. Will his luck change in the battle against Mahmudullah?
Iftikhar Ahmed vs Mustafizur Rahman
Iftikhar Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman are likely to clash against each other at the death in the Pakistan vs Bangladesh match on Tuesday. Iftikhar has done a good job in the end overs, playing some blazing cameos by hitting boundaries in quick succession. He will be expected to play the same role against Bangladesh as well.
Mustafizur was supposed to be one of Bangladesh’s trump cards in the World Cup. But this edition hasn’t been a memorable one for him. He, however, found some rhythm in the match against the Netherlands, registering impressive figures of 2/36. Can he stand up to the Iftikhar challenge if their paths cross?