Bangladesh vs Pakistan
Babar looks to leave World Cup disappointment behind
Pakistan are all set to take on the hosts Bangladesh in a three-match T20I series starting from Friday. Ahead of this series, Pakistan captain Babar Azam said they are looking forward to continuing their T20 World Cup momentum and forgetting the semifinal defeat to Australia.
Under Babar’s captaincy, Pakistan won five matches in a row in the Super 12s stage of the World Cup but stumbled against Australia in the semifinal. Despite that defeat, Pakistan gained much appreciation from the cricketing world.
“It certainly was a big disappointment to lose a game in the World Cup,” Babar told on Thursday in the pre-series press conference. “The whole team got hurt. But we are confident of rectifying our mistakes and going forward. We have faith among us.”
Also read: Bangladesh v Pakistan: Young Tigers look to restore pride lost in World Cup
Bangladesh are going to miss the services of Mushfiqur Rahim in this series. Shakib Al Hasan is also out of action due to an injury. Despite their absence, according to Babar, Bangladesh cannot be taken easily.
“They are seasoned campaigners, and they play BPL so we cannot beat them easily,” Babar added. “We don’t want to lose the momentum that we got in the World Cup. We also have Test matches in this series. So we should not take them lightly.”
While the first match of the series is on Friday, the second match will be played on Saturday, and the third and final match is scheduled for November 22 (Monday). All of these matches will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.
Also read: Is Mahmudullah unaware of Mushfiqur’s omission?
The first Test of the series will take place at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram from November 26, and the second Test will be played in Dhaka from December 4.
BAN vs PAK Series 2021: Spectators set to return to the stadium in the Pakistan Series
The Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium in Mirpur will be open to the public to enjoy the Bangladesh vs. Pakistan series 2021, starting November 19 (Friday). Spectators have been barred from entering the stadium since the worldwide coronavirus outbreak in March of last year. The last time the home of cricket was full was during the Bangladesh vs. Zimbabwe series in March 2020. That is to say, after 20 months of waiting, the BCB has decided to open the stadium gates for spectators to watch live cricket matches and support the Bangladesh national cricket team. Let's have a look at the details of ticket pricing.
BAN vs. PAK Series 2021: Ticket prices in detail
The Bangladesh Cricket Board has agreed to open the Stadium gallery for the BAN vs. PAK Series 2021, allowing supporters to watch the game on the ground. Though BCB will only let vaccinated people inside the stadium, and the tickets of just half of the stadium's capacity will be available.
Read: Saurav Ganguly appointed ICC cricket panel chief
Tickets will be on sale from November 18. Fans can purchase tickets at dedicated counters at Shaheed Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium on Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. If tickets are available, they can be purchased at the SBNCS authorized counters on the day of the match. However, tickets cannot be purchased through banks or online at this time.
The BCB is not raising ticket prices because fans will be able to watch the game on the field for the first time in a long time. Tickets for the series between Bangladesh and Pakistan will be available at the desired price. The ticket costs 100 taka at the lowest price and 1000 taka at the most expensive.
Read One eye on future: Bangladesh add Akbar, Saif, Yasir to T20 squad against Pakistan
The following are the ticket prices:
Category
Price
Grand Stand
1000 taka
VIP Stand
500 taka
Club House
300 taka
Southern/Northern Stands
150 taka
Eastern Stand
100 taka
Source: http://www.tigercricket.com.bd/
Complete Fixtures of Bangladesh-Pakistan Series 2021
Pakistan cricket team is making its first visit to Bangladesh in six years. Pakistan arrived in Dhaka after finishing their T20 World Cup 2021 campaign in the United Arab Emirates. The visitors will play the host Bangladesh in a three-match T20I series and a two-match Test series. The Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium in Mirpur will host all twenty20 matches. The first Test will be held in Chattogram's Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, while the second match will be held at the SBNCS, Dhaka.
Read: Cricket returns to Bangladeshi fans: Tickets go on sale on Thursday
Here is the full fixtures
Date
Fixtures
Time (BST)
November 19
1st T20I
2 pm
November 20
2nd T20I
2 pm
November 22
3rd T20I
2 pm
November 26-30
1st Test
10 am
December 4-8
2nd Test
10 am
Source: http://www.tigercricket.com.bd/fixtures/
Bottom Line
Opening the stadium for Bangladesh's passionate cricket fans is a good decision since the prevalence of coronavirus has dropped in recent months. However, BCB must be careful and stringent in order to safeguard spectator health procedures. It might be dangerous for the fans if this does not happen. The national cricket team of Bangladesh will get a lot of confidence by playing in front of their supporters. Because Bangladesh had a poor T20 World Cup campaign and they will be facing a quality Pakistan team in this series. Therefore, team Tigers need support in order to deliver their all on the field against a strong opponent.
Read Bangladesh to co-host ICC ODI World Cup 2031 with India
One eye on future: Bangladesh add Akbar, Saif, Yasir to T20 squad against Pakistan
Bangladesh on Tuesday announced a 16-member T20 squad for a three-match T20I series against Pakistan starting on November 19.
Four new faces have been included in this squad, which is clearly manifesting that the Tigers are keeping an eye on the future.
Among the players who were part of the Bangladesh squad in the T20 World Cup 2021, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim, Rubel Hossain, Shakib Al Hasan and Mohammad Saifuddin have been left out of Pakistan series.
Bangladesh included right-handed opener Saif Hassan, right-handed batter Yasir Ali, wicketkeeper-batter Akbar Ali and right-handed pacer Shohidul Islam in the squad. Among them, Saif has the experience of playing a few Tests, but the others are yet to don a national team jersey.
Also read: Mushfiqur rested, Akbar called as BCB announces T20Is squad vs Pakistan
“The performance in the World Cup was disastrous for us,” chief selector Minhajul Abedin Nannu told the media on Tuesday. “So we have to find some new players to open the new possibilities, and this format is the place where we can make some quick changes. I believe that the new players are all set for some international exposure.”
Along with Saif, Yasir has been around the national team for a while now. He has been performing well in the domestic circuit for the last few years, which was enough to consider him in the new-look T20 team. But the inclusion of Akbar and Shohidul came as surprise.
Akbar was the captain of the Bangladesh team that won the ICC U-19 World Cup in 2020. He has been playing some good cricket at the domestic level, but there was no space for him in the national team given the current team combination. But the absence of Mushfiqur and Liton together paved a way for him as a backup wicketkeeper-batter.
“In the current setup, Sohan (Nurul Hasan) is our number one wicketkeeper. There is no wicketkeeper in the squad without him. So we thought that Akbar is the best option in this position. The team management can play him if they want to. He has a good chance of making it to the playing XI if our main wicketkeeper gets injured. And at the same time, we want to make him prepared for the future,” Minhajul said.
Akbar played 29 T20 matches so far and scored 337 at an average of 21.06 and a strike rate of 126.69 with a highest of 45 not out.
Also read: Rizwan reveals secrets of Pakistan’s strength in T20 WC
Right-arm pacer Rubel was added to Bangladesh’s touring party during the World Cup as a standby player. But he was included later to the main squad after an injury to Saifuddin. Rubel came back after the World Cup without playing any match. It was expected that he would make it to the squad against Pakistan, but the selectors thought otherwise giving a chance to Shohidul.
Shohidul played 37 T20s and bagged 54 wickets with four four-wicket hauls. He is one of the best bowlers in Bangladesh’s domestic circuit who has been playing really good cricket. But that he w0uld get a chance in the national team so soon, maybe Shahidul himself did not expect it.
Along with these new players, Bangladesh called up Aminul Islam Biplob as well. The legspinner did not get enough chances previously despite being one of the best legspinners in the country.
“Biplob was on our radar,” Minhajul said. “I think we need a legspinner in our T20 setup. The team management can rely on him.”
Mushfiqur rested, Akbar called as BCB announces T20Is squad vs Pakistan
Experienced Mushfiqur Rahim has been rested as Bangladesh Cricket Board announced a 16-member squad for the three-match T20I series against Pakistan.
To replace out-of-form Mushfiqur the BCB has called young Akbar Ali, the leader of Bangladesh’s U-19 World Cup victory last year in the squad announced on Tuesday afternoon.
Along with Mushfiqur, Soumya Sarkar and Liton Das – all of them from the T20 World Cup team _ have also been axed from the squad with the latter two being out of the set-up due to their lean show in recent matches.
Also read: Bangladesh vs. Pakistan Series 2021: T20I Ranking Prediction
Right-arm pacer Rubel Hossain is also out of the T20I side.
Shakib Al Hasan and Mohammad Saifuddin are unavailable due to injuries.
A total of six players who were Bangladesh’s part in the T20 World Cup have been omitted while four uncapped players— Saif Hassan, Yasir Ali, Shohidul Islam and Akbar Ali-- have been included in the national team.
Among the new faces, Saif Hassan has played in Tests, but the others are yet to don the national team jersey in any format of the game.
The three-match T20I series will take place on November 19, 20 and 22 at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Around 50 per cent of spectators of the total capacity of the Sher-e-Bangla will be allowed to enjoy the game in person at the stadium. However, the BCB is yet to announce the details about ticket sale.
Also read: Rizwan reveals secrets of Pakistan’s strength in T20 WC
After the T20 series, both the teams will take on each other in two-match Test series starting from November 26 in Chattogram, with the second Test to be played in Dhaka from December 4.
It is going to be the first international cricket event for Bangladesh after the disastrous T20 World Cup campaign in Oman and UAE where Bangladesh lost six out of eight matches they played.
Bangladesh squad for Pakistan T20Is: Mohammad Naeem, Saif Hasan, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Yasir Ali Rabbi, Mahmudullah Riyad (captain), Nurul Hasan Sohan (wicketeeper), Afif Hossain, Shamim Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed, Aminul Islam Biplob, Mohammad Shohidul Islam and Akbar Ali (wicketkeeper).
Bangladesh vs. Pakistan Series 2021: T20I Ranking Prediction
Bangladesh are placed eighth in the ICC T20I rankings at the end of the T20 World Cup 2021. Bangladesh will compete in the Super 12 Round of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia after confirming the top eight in the team rankings. Team Tigers can further improve their ranking during the forthcoming home series against Pakistan. They will play three matches in the bilateral competition, with the results impacting the rating points. Let's take a look at how Bangladesh might improve its T20 ranking.
Read: BAN vs. PAK 2021: Six new faces likely for the Pakistan T20I series
Probable Ranking Scenarios at the end of Bangladesh vs. Pakistan Series 2021
According to the latest update on November 12, England are currently placed first in the ICC T20I team rankings.
India are still in the second position despite being eliminated from the Super 12 Round of the T20 World Cup, while Pakistan have moved up to third place by reaching the World Cup semifinals.
Twenty20 World Cup 2021 runner-up New Zealand are fourth, followed by South Africa and the reigning champions, Australia. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies are ranked seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth, respectively.
If Bangladesh whitewash (3-0) Pakistan, they will rise to seventh place with 238 rating points. If team Tigers win the series by a 2-1 margin, they will climb up to the seventh place with 236 points. Bangladesh can still enhance their rankings and rating points even if they lose the bilateral contest 2-1.
Read:Rizwan reveals secrets of Pakistan’s strength in T20 WC
On the other side, Pakistan will drop 5 rating points if they lose the series 3-0. If Pakistan lose the series 2-1, they will drop three rating points. Pakistan will lose one rating point if Bangladesh lose the series 2-1. However, Pakistan will move up to second place if they sweep Bangladesh and India lose their series to New Zealand 2-1.
Ranking scenarios for other top teams in November
England will remain the top-ranked T20I team at the end of November. On the other hand, India will stay in second place if they win their next 3-match T20I series against New Zealand.
New Zealand have a chance to climb to second place in the ICC T20I team rankings If they whitewash India and Pakistan lose their series against Bangladesh. New Zealand may still finish third in the rankings if Pakistan lose all three matches against Bangladesh.
Apart from these two T20I series, there will be no other bilateral series in November. The present positions of South Africa and Australia will remain unchanged. On the other side, Afghanistan might drop to eighth place depending on Bangladesh's outcome against the Pakistan side.
Sri Lanka might climb up to eighth place if Bangladesh lose all three matches against Pakistan. The West Indies will maintain their present standing.
Read:Taskin eyes a Tigers’ fresh start in series vs Pakistan
T20I Team Rankings (as of November 12)
Position
Team
Ratings
1
England
278
2
India
264
3
Pakistan
263
4
New Zealand
258
5
South Africa
253
6
Australia
246
7
Afghanistan
232
8
Bangladesh
232
9
Sri Lanka
232
10
West Indies
226
Source: https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/mens/team-rankings/t20i
Verdict
Bangladesh's main goal in the competition would be to overcome Pakistan. It will be a brilliant result if Bangladesh win the series against Pakistan, who had a fantastic performance in the T20 World Cup 2021. This series will feature a new-look Bangladesh Twenty20 squad. Therefore, fans should have lower expectations of the Bangladesh team.
Read Women’s ODI: Bangladesh whitewash Zimbabwe 3-0
BAN vs. PAK 2021: Six new faces likely for the Pakistan T20I series
Senior players must step aside at some point to allow the new generation to take their spot. Bangladesh's senior cricketers will most likely retire in the near future. Therefore, Bangladesh Cricket Board has planned to incorporate some fresh new faces in the national team set up following a terrible performance in the just ended T20 World Cup 2021. According to reports, six players would be rested or unavailable due to injuries for the upcoming BAN vs. PAK 2021 contest. Let's take a look at Bangladesh's potential playing XI for the T20I series.
Bangladesh's Prospective T20I playing XI for the Pakistan series
According to various reports, Shakib Al Hasan (hamstring injury), Mohammad Saifuddin (back injury), Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, and Rubel Hossain are the six players who are expected to miss the Pakistan T20I series. Neither of these players has been spotted practicing in Mirpur. The selectors may choose six or seven players in their replacement. Parvez Hossain Emon, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Yasir Ali, Saif Hasan, Tanvir Islam, Aminul Islam Biplob, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, and Shohidul Islam are among the likely candidates for a place in the Twenty20 squad.
Read: Pakistani cricket team arrives in Dhaka
Probable Bangladesh’s Playing XI (for the first T20I)
Batting/Top Order
Parvez Hossain Emon
T20: 24 | Runs: 563 | HS: 100* | SR: 123.73
Parvez Hossain is a gifted cricketer who was a part of the U19 World Cup 2020 winning team. Parvez is now Bangladesh's fastest T20 centurion.
Mohammad Naim
T20: 74 | Runs: 1828 | HS: 105 | SR: 113.39
Mohammad Naim was the highest scorer for Bangladesh in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. He will most likely play the anchor role in the forthcoming BAN vs. PAK 2021 series.
Najmul Hossain Shanto
T20: 78 | Runs: 1584 | HS: 115* | SR: 128.99
Read: Four Nations Football: Hosts Sri Lanka stand between Bangladesh and final
Najmul Hossain will most likely play at number 3 in the absence of Shakib Al Hasan. Najmul has shown promise in Test cricket, but his white-ball career on the international stage has been far from good.
Batting/Middle Orders
Mahmudullah Riyad
T20: 260 | Runs: 4,820 | HS: 70* | SR: 119.27 | Wkts: 123 | BBI: 3/6 | Econ: 7.02
Mahmudullah Riyad had a difficult time as captain in the T20 World Cup. He made several mistakes when it came to making decisions. Riyad needs to bounce back both as a captain and as a batter.
Afif Hossain
T20: 106 | Runs: 1719 | HS: 76 | SR: 126.58 | Wkts: 28 | BBI: 5/21 | Econ: 8.73
Afif Hossain could be promoted to the top of the order. He would have to shoulder extra responsibilities in the absence of Mushfiqur Rahim.
Shamim Hossain
T20: 39 | Runs: 538 | HS: 52* | SR: 139.37
U19 World Cup winner Shamim Hossain is a hard-hitting batter. He has the potential to be a vital player in the death overs.
Read Women’s ODI: Bangladesh whitewash Zimbabwe 3-0
Nurul Hasan
T20: 132 | Runs: 1807 | HS: 79* | SR: 128.61
Nurul Hasan is Bangladesh's best wicketkeeper, and he will play in the next T20I series against Pakistan.
Mahedi Hasan
T20: 91 | Runs: 1017 | HS: 92 | SR: 126.65 | Wkts: 81 | BBI: 4/22 | Econ: 6.99
Mahedi Hasan played fairly well with the ball in the T20 World Cup, but he struggled with the bat. Mahedi's off-spin could be very useful in the series against Pakistan.
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Bowling
Taskin Ahmed
T20: 100 | Wkts: 112 | BBI: 5/31 | Econ: 8.31
Taskin Ahmed has been exceptional with the ball since returning to international cricket earlier this year. He was Bangladesh's most impressive bowler during the T20 World Cup 2021.
Mustafizur Rahman
T20: 167 | Wkts: 219 | BBI: 5/22 | Econ: 7.31
Left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman was a complete disappointment at the World Cup due to the unfavorable UAE conditions. However, he will be an effective bowler in this condition at home.
Nasum Ahmed
T20: 60 | Wkts: 50 | BBI: 4/10 | Econ: 6.50
Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed could be Mahmudullah's best weapon in this series. He will lead Bangladesh's spin attack in the absence of Shakib Al Hasan.
Read Rizwan reveals secrets of Pakistan’s strength in T20 WC
Bottom Line
There is no shortage of talented cricketers in Bangladesh. A significant number of high-quality cricketers will develop in the future if properly nurtured. Some of the players that won the U19 World Cup 2020 will be given the opportunity to exhibit their abilities in the upcoming BAN vs. PAK T20I series. Many cricket analysts think that if these players are properly groomed, they would take Bangladesh cricket to the next level.
Read Taskin eyes a Tigers’ fresh start in series vs Pakistan
Pakistan Announce Squad for the Upcoming Bilateral BAN vs. PAK 2021 T20I Series
The Pakistan T20I team will play a three-match series against Bangladesh starting November 19. Pakistan will play Bangladesh for the first time in six years in a bilateral series. Their last visit to Bangladesh was in 2015 when they were defeated in both the ODI and T20I series. PCB has already announced an 18-man Twenty20 squad for the forthcoming BAN vs. PAK 2021 series. Veteran cricketer Mohammad Hafeez has withdrawn from the competition. Apart from that, the team contains all of the expected names. Let's have a look at Pakistan's squad for the T20 series against Bangladesh.
Read: India bow out of T20 World Cup beating Namibia by 9 wickets
Pakistan's T20 Team for the Bangladesh Series 2021
The Pakistan Cricket Board announced their T20I lineup for the next series against Bangladesh on Monday (November 8). The visitors will play three T20 matches and two Test matches against the hosts.
Pakistan's selectors picked all of the players of the 2021 World Cup squad except for all-rounder Mohammad Hafez. He dropped out of the 2021 World Cup team to create room for the younger players.
Batting all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed, leg-spinner Usman Qadir, and medium-pacer Shahnawaz Dahani were named in the team by the selectors.
Read NCL: Joy guides Chattagram to big lead over Barishal
Iftikhar Ahmed last played for Pakistan against South Africa in February of this year. He is a solid middle-order batsman who can also bowl. It's no surprise that he was chosen in place of Mohammad Hafeez. Iftekhar has 212 runs and a 130.86 strike rate in 11 innings thus far.
Leg-spinner Usman Qadir has played 16 T20Is for Pakistan. He has 20 wickets at a strike rate of 13.2. He played the West Indies series in August but was left out of Pakistan's T20 World Cup 2021 squad.
On the other hand, Pacer Dahani has impressed everyone with his extreme accuracy during the PSL 2021. He has 29 wickets in 18 T20 matches but has yet to play for Pakistan national team.
Read Meet the Semi-Finalists of ICC T20 World Cup 2021
Pakistan Squad:
Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), Usman Qadir, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Shahnawaz Dahani
Probable Pakistan XI (first match)
Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Shoaib Malik, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Usman Qadir
BAN vs. PAK 2021: T20I Series Fixture
BCB has opted to hold the T20 series in the SBNCS, Mirpur, in order to maintain a better covid-19 health protocol. However, one of the Test matches will be held at ZACS in Chattogram. All the T20I matches will begin at 6.30 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time).
Read:A World Cup Bangladesh prefer to forget
T20I Fixtures
1st Match: 19/11/2021 | 2nd Match: 20/11/2021 | 3rd Match: 22/11/2021
Verdict
Bangladesh have faced Pakistan in a total of 12 matches in the T20 format. However, they have only won twice against them and have lost the remaining ten matches. Bangladesh won both the games at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Mirpur. Team Tigers will be looking to deploy all of their strength during the BAN vs. PAK 2021 series despite their dismal performance in the T20 World Cup 2021. Bangladesh recently won two bilateral series at home, one against Australia and the other against New Zealand. Therefore, the squad will be more confident in their ability to play better against a strong Pakistan national team. Given the current form of both sides, this will be a huge challenge for Bangladesh.
Read:T20 World Cup 2021: Top Three Individual Performances by Bangladesh Players
U-19 cricket series between Bangladesh and Pakistan postponed
Due to the recent surge of Covid-19 cases in the country, the Under-19 cricket series between Bangladesh and Pakistan has been postponed indefinitely, confirmed Bangladesh Cricket Board CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury.
In this tour, Pakistan U-19 was scheduled to play a four-day and five one-day matches against their Bangladeshi counterparts.
Also read: BCB eyes long-term plan to prepare U-19 cricketers for future
“We have been in continuous communication with the Pakistan board. We will host the series at a convenient time in the coming months,” he told the reporters on Saturday.
“It’ll possible when we get a situation to host an international team, and we obviously try to host them as early as possible,” he further added.
Also read: World champion U-19 cricketers to get Tk1 lakh each per month
A weeklong lockdown to curb the transmission of Covid-19 was imposed in Bangladesh on April 5 which will come to an end on Sunday. But it apparently is proved to be ineffective as it was unplanned as according to the expert. The government had to backtrack some decisions during the lockdown.
Now, the authority has announced that a stricter lockdown will be enforced from April 14 when except for some emergency services, everything will remain closed.