Sharjah: Bangladesh captain Jaker Ali Anik won the toss and sent Afghanistan into bat first in the third and final T20 game at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in UAE today. Having taken an unassailable 2-0 lead following their four-wicket and two-wicket victories, Bangladesh is eyeing a clean sweep of the series.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Bangladesh made one change from the previous squad with Tanzim Hasan Sakib returning to the fold, replacing Mustafizur Rahman. Jaker Ali emphasized the need to remain aggressive to achieve their goal. “It’s a nice wicket and things are going good with this strategy, so we will like to bowl. As a team, we have done lots of good things and we have kept a good mindset,” Jaker told the broadcasters after winning the toss. He highlighted the importance of fielding well in T20 cricket, acknowledging Afghanistan’s strength, particularly their world-class spinners.
The series defeat against Bangladesh marks Afghanistan’s first since 2015 in the UAE. Prior to this, they had secured victories in nine consecutive series in the country. Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan expressed determination to avoid a series sweep, aiming for a consolation victory. “It’s a good batting track but it will get harder later on. To do well in the first ten overs with both batting and bowling is important,” Rashid said. He noted the improved options available to the team, stating that as a captain, he now has a lot of choices.
Afghanistan also made a change from the previous game, with Bashir Ahmad replacing Noor Ahmad. The line-ups for the match are as follows:
Bangladesh: Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Jaker Ali Anik(w/c), Shamim Patwari, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Nasum Ahmed, Mohammad Saifuddin, Rishad Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib.
Afghanistan: Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Wafiullah Tarakhil, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan(c), Abdullah Ahmadzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Bashir Ahmad.