In Dubai, UAE, on September 25, Bangladesh’s stand-in captain Jaker Ali is keeping his team grounded ahead of their key T20 Asia Cup showdown with Pakistan. He stresses that the Bangladesh cricket team won’t underestimate any rival—instead, they’ll play to their own strengths and build on past experiences.
Bangladesh has struggled historically against Pakistan in T20 Internationals, winning just five out of 25 matches while losing 20. But the Tigers are riding high after their 2-1 series victory over Pakistan on home soil back in July, which gives them a confidence boost for this Super Fours clash.
"We don’t take anyone lightly; instead, we focus on our strengths and abilities," Jaker Ali told reporters. "Having played them twice before in Pakistan and Bangladesh, those experiences will surely be valuable moving forward." That recent series win could prove crucial as Bangladesh eyes a spot in the Asia Cup final.
Pakistan, meanwhile, comes in strong after a five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in a must-win Super Fours game at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Despite some shaky moments, they chased down the target with ease, keeping their tournament hopes alive.
India has already punched their ticket to the final, thanks to a solid 41-run win over Bangladesh at Dubai International Stadium on Wednesday—even if their batting wasn’t at its best. Now, the Pakistan vs Bangladesh match becomes a do-or-die battle: the winner advances to face India, while the India-Sri Lanka game on Friday in Dubai turns into a meaningless dead rubber.
For fans following the T20 Asia Cup action, here’s a look at the squads:
Bangladesh squad: Litton Das (c), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Tawhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali Anik, Shamim Hossain, Quazi Nurul Hasan Sohan, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Shaif Uddin.
Pakistan squad: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, Sufyan Moqim.
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