Dubai: Bangladesh once again won the crucial toss and opted to bowl first, sending Pakistan into bat in their must-win Asia Cup clash at Dubai International Cricket Stadium today. Jaker Ali Anik stepped in as captain after regular skipper Liton Das was unable to recover fully from his injury.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Bangladesh is approaching this match, which has turned into an unofficial semifinal, less than 24 hours after suffering a 41-run defeat to India. In response to recent performances, they have made three changes for this ‘do or die’ encounter, bringing in Taskin Ahmed, Nurul Hasan Sohan, and Mahedi Hasan, who replace Mohammad Saifuddin, Nasum Ahmed, and Tanzid Hasan Tamim.
“It looks a pretty dry wicket which is why we opted to bowl first,” Jaker said after the toss, explaining his decision. “We have been doing well while bowling first, so we are going with that strategy. As a bowling unit, we have been doing well. We have to bat really well in this match,” he added, emphasizing their intent to carry a winning mentality to secure a spot in the final. “Before the tournament, we had just decided we’d go out and play for the championship, and we’ll carry the same mindset in this match,” Jaker further stated.
Pakistan, on the other hand, fielded an unchanged side that emerged victorious against Sri Lanka in their previous game. Captain Salman Agha expressed contentment with the outcome of the toss, stating, “We wanted to bat first, so it’s okay. Looks a good pitch. Scoreboard pressure is the key.” He highlighted their success in defending totals, adding, “We have defended well after scoring 150-plus. Beating Sri Lanka was always great. We want to play good cricket and execute our plans.”
Agha reiterated the importance of this match, saying, “It’s always important playing any final. We want to focus on this game, want to win this game. We want to play good cricket. We are playing with the same side.”
Line Ups:
Bangladesh: Saif Hassan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Patwari, Jaker Ali Anik (w/c), Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman.
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha(c), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris(w), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.