What: Group A match of ICC Champions Trophy
When: Thursday, February 27 at 2pm (09:00 GMT)
Where: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Follow Al Jazeera’s live text and photo commentary from 05:00 GMT.
Pakistan’s cricketers, despite their disappointments, remain driven by pride for their final Champions Trophy match against Bangladesh, as highlighted by head coach Aaqib Javed, after their elimination from the tournament’s group stage.
Pakistan’s chances of advancing to the semifinals ended following their losses to New Zealand and India, rendering their last Group A match inconsequential.
The rain previously postponing the Australia-South Africa Group B match on Tuesday, and forecasted for Thursday, could further impact Pakistan’s chances, risking them ending fourth and last based on net run-rate.
Regardless of the outcome, this marks a disappointing conclusion to Pakistan’s first attempted hosting of a major international cricket tournament in over three decades.
“We have no excuses, but the players are more affected than fans and seek to leave a mark in their final game,” affirmed Aaqib.
The players, despite the losses, remain committed, as evidenced by their recent victories in ODI series against Australia and South Africa.
“This is the Champions Trophy, where the eight best teams compete, hence after two defeats, we have to start anew,” added Aaqib.
“Every game is about pride, so we aim to make our mark on Thursday,” he stated.
Their performance in the Champions Trophy drew criticism from former players and fans, especially considering their first-round exits from both the 2023 World Cup and Twenty20 World Cup.
Aaqib acknowledged the emotional toll of losing to rivals India.
“People are more invested in India-Pakistan matches and struggle to accept defeats against India, which makes the Dubai loss particularly distressing,” he pointed out.
Pakistan’s batting struggled against a robust Indian side in Dubai, where they scored just 241 runs and lost by six wickets.
“Our pace bowlers, despite criticisms, remain among the world’s best,” defended Aaqib.
Pakistan vs Bangladesh Head-to-Head Record
Pakistan holds a dominant record over Bangladesh in all formats of cricket.
In ODIs, Pakistan has won 34 of their 39 encounters, with Bangladesh’s last win coming at the 1999 World Cup in England.
The two teams have never faced each other in the Champions Trophy’s previous editions.
Pakistan Form Guide
Entering the tournament, Pakistan had won three consecutive ODI series. However, they quickly faltered in their first two group matches, struggling with batting, fielding, and bowling.
Last five ODIs: L, L, L, L, L
Bangladesh Form Guide
Bangladesh’s recent form in ODI cricket has been poor, losing all three matches against West Indies in December, following a 2-1 series loss to Afghanistan in November.
Last five ODIs: L, L, L, L, L
Pakistan Team News
With the match bearing no impact on their tournament fate, Pakistan might consider changes to their lineup. Possible switches include Tayyab Tahir for Kamran Ghulam and Usman Khan for Imam-ul-Haq.
Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (c, wk), Salman Ali Agha, Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi
Bangladesh Team News
Bangladesh is expected to field the same team that played New Zealand.
Squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Towhid Hridoy, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan, Nahid Rana
