Pakistan will aim to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20 International series against Bangladesh when the two teams meet at Gaddafi Stadium on Friday night.
Having secured a 1-0 lead with a comfortable 37-run victory on Wednesday, Pakistan will look to extend their advantage. In the opening match, Pakistan posted an impressive 201/7 – their highest total at Gaddafi Stadium – and restricted Bangladesh to 164 runs.
The Green Shirts outplayed Bangladesh in every department. With the bat, Pakistan’s captain Salman Ali Agha led the way with a half-century (56), supported by Shadab Khan (48) and Hasan Nawaz (44). In the bowling department, Hasan Ali delivered his best-ever figures in T20Is, claiming 5 wickets for 30 runs, while Shadab Khan added to the pressure with 4 wickets for 26.
With the series now poised at 1-0, Pakistan will look to build on this momentum under the leadership of Salman Ali Agha. Although ranked 8th in the ICC T20 rankings, Pakistan aims to regain lost glory, having endured a difficult year with 19 losses and just 9 wins in the format.
For the upcoming match, Pakistan is expected to maintain an unchanged lineup, though there could be a possible change in the fast-bowling department with Abbas Afridi coming in for Haris Rauf.
Pakistan’s Probable XI:
Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris (wk), Hasan Nawaz, Salman Ali Agha (capt), Shadab Khan, Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf/Abbas Afridi, Hasan Ali, Abrar Ahmed
Bangladesh, on the other hand, might make a change by bringing Najmul Hossain Shanto back into the lineup.
Bangladesh’s Probable XI:
Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Litton Das (capt), Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali (wk), Shamim Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam
