This match rendered inconsequential courtesy India’s win over Sri Lanka yesterday could see Pakistan give rest to couple of players and give some other players a chance. Shoaib Malik should take this opportunity and take rest to avoid worsening his health. That will mean another day at the helm for Misbah and he would try to impress a few. Pakistan may give Wahab Riaz another chance. Pakistan need to win this one because a loss here would pinch for a long time as they have a fifty day break from international cricket after this tournament.
For Bangladesh, each international game is as big and they would want to clinch a win here to silence those who question their test status. They must look to give Shahriar Nafees a chance in place of Nazimuddin. They need Abdur Razzak and Mashrafe Mortaza to do well and be confident for the future tournaments.
Look Out For
Salman Butt – He didn’t cash on the superb form he came into the tournament with. He would want to set record straight with a big score tomorrow.
Saeed Ajmal – He has a big turning Doosra and Bangladesh batters may find it too hot to handle. He needs to bring in an element of surprise by altering his line for the Doosra and turning it lesser but against Bangladesh he could be a handful.
Tamim Iqbal – He has all the talent in the world. All he needs a bit more maturity and a sense of responsibility. He would like to get a big score tomorrow and a weak Pakistani bowling line up will only make things easier.
Shahadat Hossain – He has worked up some pace in this tournament. If he bowls a on a tight leash, he could turn the heat on.
Probable starters:
Pakistan:Salman Butt, Shoaib Malik (C), Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, Sarfraz Ahmed (WK), Saeed Ajmal, Sohail Tanvir, Rao Iftikhar, Abdur Rauf
Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Shahriar Nafees, Raqibul Hasan, Mohammad Ashraful (C), Mushfiqur Rahim (WK), Alok Kapali, Mohammad Mahmudullah, Mehrab Hussain Jnr, Mashrafe Mortaza (VC), Abdur Razzak, Shahadat Hossain
Verdict: Pakistan although depleted but should be enough for Bangladesh. Pakistan should cruise through; otherwise it will have to be Pakistan loosing the match rather than Bangladesh winning it.
Back to back 50 over matches isn’t something that players like but it’s a side effect of the run for big money that creates a heavily packed calendar. But Sri Lanka still would like not to relent and field their best side today to seal a final berth. They have been the winners thrice and runners up five times in the previous eight editions of the tournament and in all likeliness will keep the trend going.
Bangladesh would look to give in a spirited performance like they did batting against India. They may have a window of opportunity should the Lankans decide to rest a few key players.
Look out For
Kumar Sangakkara – He comes across as a greedy batsman. He doesn’t leave any opportunity to score runs and will be looking to compile another big score against the slightly weaker test playing nation, Bangladesh.
Sanath Jayasuriya – He turns thirty nine today and would be looking to celebrate with a big innings and a big win which would take Sri Lanka into the finals of the Asia Cup.
Mohammad Ashraful – He will have to play a big innings if Bangladesh are to have any chance of beating Sri Lanka. He is batsman with natural flair and can score quickly.
Alok Kapali – He batted wonderfully well in the match against India. He also bowls loopy leg spinners which could be difficult to handle if Bangladesh bowl second.
Verdict: Bangladesh’s only chance to get a win here would be to bat first and score in excess of 275 runs. Even then their bowling might be found wanting. If one of Jayasuriya and Sangakkara get going, they are dead and buried.
After a not so exciting first round fans will be looking forward to a few intriguing clashes with the four bigger teams, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh in the fray in the Super Four. India and Sri Lanka will start as favorites to move into the finals as they carry two points each from the group phase courtesy wins against Pakistan and Bangladesh respectively.
India and Sri Lanka need to win two of their three matches in Super Four to advance to the final while Pakistan need to win all three to avoid the hassles of net run rate. India and Sri Lanka also need to win at least two of the three matches to reach to the final. Only one win will have them on four points and at a lower net run rate, as the only the points and not the run rate of the match are carried on from the group phase. Amidst all these Bangladesh could spoil the party of one of three giants.
Exploring a possibility where India wins all its matches in the Super Four, interesting implications follow:-
If Sri Lanka defeat Pakistan and Bangladesh, they go through.
If Pakistan wins it’s other two matches and Sri Lanka defeat Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be locked at four points each. This situation will favor Pakistan as Sri Lanka will not carry the positive run rate they earned in the first round.
India look the strongest of the three sides and Sri Lanka are the second most favored team to reach the finals. But leaving aside all the possibilities and probabilities the three matches involving the three giants promise a feast ahead.
Leave apart fans and followers, this team has continually disappointed itself. They are far more a talented side than what the stats show.
They just need to beat UAE to reach the second phase where they will get to play against all three Asian giants, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and that would make for a nice exposure and experience.
Their Aim
They would first defeat UAE and secure a place in the next phase and then would like to catch the Lankans rusty.
Look Out For
Tamim Iqbal – He’s a young attacking opener and can score some quick runs. On his day he can be a threat to oppositions and especially more so for teams like UAE, whose chances he could wipe up very quickly.
Alok Kapali – He’s a naturally gifted player but has failed to do justice to his capabilities. Bangladesh will hope that he can fill at least a part of gap created by unavailability of Shakib Al Hasan due to his higher secondary exams.
Abdur Razzak – He is a nice and steady bowler. He bowls on a tight leash and waits for batsmen to make mistakes.
Other Players
Mohammad Ashraful has had huge expectations of him but the over cautious approach he adopted in the last series has brought in criticism. Although some experts support the idea but this approach will never win matches. Look up if he comes out with different ideas.
Mashrafe Mortaza can be a dangerous bowler in the initial spell if he gets the length right. Lahore and Karachi have seen some tremendous spells of bowling from Waqar, Wasim, Imran, Gul, Sami and others and Mortaza will be looking to draw inspiration and emulate them.
Probable Starting Eleven
Tamim Iqbal
Shahriar Nafees
Raqibul Hasan
Mohammad Ashraful (C)
Mushfiqur Rahim (WK)
Alok Kapali
Mohammad Mahmudullah
Farhad Reza
Mashrafe Mortaza (VC)
Abdur Razzak
Shahadat Hossain
Verdict
They are favorites to grab the second stop in group A and move to second phase of the competition but a lapse in concentration or complacence against UAE could see them packing their bags early.
