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Pakistan will face Bangladesh today in the 31st match of the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023. The match will be played this afternoon at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India.
Pakistan entered this crucial encounter after enduring a challenging stretch, with four consecutive losses in the tournament. Led by Captain Babar Azam, the team’s chances in the competition are hanging by a thread.
Their recent nail-biting one-wicket defeat to South Africa has placed them in the sixth position on the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 league standings, having secured four points from six matches. In the upcoming clash, Pakistan faces a must-win scenario as they take on a struggling Bangladesh side.
On the other hand, Bangladesh approached this match following an 87-run loss to the Netherlands. The Bangla Tigers have only managed one victory in their six matches so far, placing them in the ninth position in the standings, with a total of two points from these six games.
Pitch Report
The pitch at the historic Eden Gardens favors batters, but as the match progresses, the surface tends to slow down, making strokeplay more challenging. In the most recent match played at this venue, the Netherlands chose to bat first and posted a total of 229 runs before dismissing Bangladesh for 142. The average score for the team batting first in the last ten matches at the venue stands at 289.
Opting to bat first is the preferred strategy at this stadium, as the team batting first has emerged victorious in 80 percent of its contests.
Head-to-head
Bangladesh and Pakistan have competed in two matches during the ICC ODI World Cup. In these two encounters, Bangladesh secured victory in one match, while Pakistan emerged as the winner in another.
Bangladesh caused an upset by defeating their rivals in 1999 in England, whereas Pakistan claimed victory in the 2019 match, also held in the same country.
Probable lineups
Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Usama Mir, Mohammad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf.
Bangladesh: Litton Das, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib al-Hasan (captain), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam.
