The Bangla Wash T20I tri-series consisting of Bangladesh, Pakistan and host New Zealand is all set to kick off tomorrow (Friday) in Christchurch. In the opening match of the series, Bangladesh will take on Pakistan. Let’s take a look at how each team could line up, head-to-head records and pitch reports.
Bangladesh vs Pakistan: Probable Team Lineups
The tri-nation series will serve to prepare for the forthcoming Twenty20 World Cup 2022. The fringe players will likely get some chances during the series to test the strength of the squads. Besides, the teams will be aiming to construct their best playing XI for the ICC’s mega event. Here is the probable playing XI for the first match of the tri-series between Bangladesh and Pakistan.
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Bangladesh
Skipper Shakib Al Hasan was supposed to join the team on Tuesday and partake in the captains' photoshoot with the trophy. However, he was unable to join the Bangladeshi team because of a visa-related problem. Shakib will join the team on Thursday and lead the Tigers against Pakistan on Friday.
Sabbir Rahman and Litton Das may be considered Bangladesh's opening pair for this match, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz may also be sent to start the innings. The team management may choose to enhance the batting order by putting an extra batter in the playing XI due to the unknown playing conditions. Mohammad Saifuddin's selection in the team is therefore all but guaranteed, despite his poor run of form in recent international fixtures.
Predicted Playing XI
Sabbir Rahman, Litton Das, Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Afif Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain, Yasir Ali, Nurul Hasan (wicket-keeper), Mehidy Miraz, Mohammad Saifuddin, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman
Pakistan
Pakistan recently lost a bilateral T20I series against England 4-3, which exposed some of their weaknesses in the team. By now, everyone is aware of how unstable Pakistan's middle order is and how much the team depends on the contributions of openers Babar and Rizwan. During this tri-nation series, Pakistan will be hoping to find a solution to their middle-order batting woes.
They have five prominent fast bowlers, and all are deserving candidates to find a place in the team. Therefore, they are in doubt about picking the ideal three pacers for the playing XI.
Predicted Playing XI
Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Wasim, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain
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Pakistan vs Bangladesh: H2H T20I records
Pakistan have a decent T20I record in New Zealand. They have 5 wins and 7 losses in New Zealand in the Twenty20 format. On the other hand, Bangladesh have never won a T20I in New Zealand, losing all 7 matches they have played in this region.
Pakistan led the head-to-head battle against Bangladesh with 13 wins in 15 matches. Bangladesh have only two T20I victories over Pakistan. Here are some noteworthy h2h records between the two teams.
Significant h2h T20I records between Bangladesh and Pakistan
| Bangladesh | Pakistan | |
| Matches (15) | 2 | 13 |
| Most Runs | Shakib Al Hasan (292 runs in 9 innings) | Mohammad Hafeez (277 runs in 9 innings) |
| Highest Runs | Shakib Al Hasan (84) | Ahmed Shehzad (111*) |
| Most Wickets | Abdur Razzak (7 wickets in 7 innings) | Shahid Afridi (10 wickets in 10 innings) |
| BBI | Mahmudullah Riyad (3/10) | Mansoor Amjad (3/3) |
| Most Matches | Mahmudullah Riyad (15) | Shoaib Malik (12) |
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Christchurch Weather and Pitch Report
There will be some cloudiness in Christchurch and a chance of rain on Friday. There have only been two T20I games played on this field, therefore there is not enough information to determine what a toss-winning captain should choose. However, chasing can be a wise choice given that a side can develop a plan for the innings. The match will start at 8 a.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time).
Aftermath
The Bangladesh selectors are somewhat concerned about how the batters will perform in New Zealand following their recent T20I results. Therefore, the opening game of the Bangla Wash T20I Tri-Series between Bangladesh and Pakistan on Friday will be a real test of the players' abilities to play on quick, bouncy surfaces. On the other hand, Pakistan will be expected to put on a solid performance, particularly from the middle order.
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