Abu dhabi: With an aim to avoid an ignominious whitewash in the ODI series, Bangladesh will take on Afghanistan in the third and final match at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) tomorrow (Tuesday). The match starts at 6pm (Bangladesh Time) and will be aired live on T-sports and Nagorik TV.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Bangladesh conceded a five-wicket defeat in the first ODI before experiencing another crushing defeat in the second match by 81 runs, after being bundled out for 109, which gave Afghanistan an unassailable 2-0 lead. The visiting Bangladesh side entered the ODI series with high confidence following a clean sweep in the three-match T20 series against the same opponent. However, they now face the possibility of an opposite outcome.
Reckless batting has been identified as the main reason for Bangladesh's series struggles. While similar issues affected them in the T20 series, they managed to secure victories there, but in ODI, they seemed directionless. Their performance was concerning even before the Afghanistan series, having lost 10 ODIs in the last 11 matches, highlighting their shaky state in a format previously considered their stronghold.
Skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz has urged his team to rectify their batting issues to avoid a series whitewash and secure a consolation victory. He emphasized the need for top-order partnerships and for batters to take responsibility, expressing disappointment in their recent performances.
"We needed to get partnerships at the top order. It would have been a different scenario. But no batter took responsibility, which was disappointing," Miraz stated. "We have one match left. We have to come back strongly. The batters need to improve and take responsibility," he added.
The two sides have faced each other 21 times in ODI format, with Bangladesh holding an upper hand with 11 wins to Afghanistan's 10. An Afghan victory in the upcoming match would not only secure a series whitewash but also level the win-loss ratio for the first time.
Squad details for the match are as follows:
Bangladesh: Mehidy Hasan Miraz (Captain), Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Naim Sheikh, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali Anik, Shamim Patwari, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Hasan Mahmud, and Nahid Rana.
Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (Captain), Rahmat Shah (Vice-Captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Wicketkeeper), Ikram Alikhil (Wicketkeeper), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Bashir Ahmad, and Mohammad Saleem Safi.
Reserves for Afghanistan include Bilal Sami and Faridoon Dawoodzai.