Pakistan will look to move one step closer to joining rivals India in the semifinals when they take on beleaguered hosts Bangladesh in a crucial Group 2 ICC World T20 game in Mirpur.
[Read the report HERE]
Where to Watch Live
The game is scheduled for a 7.30 pm local time (7 pm IST, 1.30 pm GMT, 9.30 am ET) start with live coverage on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 3 and Star Sports HD1 in India. The match cane be watched via live streaming online HERE. The match can be watched via live streaming in Pakistan HERE or HERE, while Sri Lanka viewers can do the same HERE. The action in the US will be shown by ESPN with live streaming option HERE. Sky Sports 2 is the channel to watch in the UK, while you can also live stream the game HERE.
To watch the match in Middle East click HERE, South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa viewers can go HERE, while Latin America viewers can do the same HERE. The match can be live streamed in Europe HERE, with the option for viewers in Canada HERE. New Zealand viewers can live stream the action HERE,while viewers in Australia can catch all the action live online HERE.
Mohammed Hafeez and co. have had a long time to wait and ponder on their next move, following the thrilling win over Australia last Sunday. Pakistan lost their first match to India in the opening game of the main draw of the World T20, but bounced back in their second, and now it looks like being a straight fight between them and West Indies.
If Pakistan beat Bangladesh in the early game on Sunday, then Australia are out of the tournament, irrespective of the result in the late match against India. Then it will indeed be a virtual quarterfinal between Pakistan and West Indies on Tuesday, with both teams, if the former win today, standing at two wins apiece.
"The picture is very clear in front of us," Hafeez said on Saturday. "We have to win each and every game, but we will take it one at a time. We all know as a team that we can't make any mistakes.
"We are ready for tomorrow's game. In the last game [against Australia], we pulled through a tough situation. Everyone showed great character, which helped us cross the line. It is a great sign for the team.
"There will be nothing to do with the net run-rate. We have to win all the way through to the final, there's no second thought about it. We have been positive in our body language."
Bangladesh have been poorer than one would have imagined in this tournament. Disappointing their admirable fans, who have stood by them despite all the recent results time and again, there really is a case for the players to stand up and be counted.
They surrendered meekly to West Indies, after being shot down for a score less than 100, and while there were signs of a little bit of improvement against India, they were still thoroughly outplayed.
Being the hosts would have been seen as an advantage heading into the World T20, but Bangladesh have clearly failed to make use of it, and maybe an out of the blue win against Pakistan might just be the tonic needed to lift the pall of gloom currently hovering around the Bangladesh players.
Crucial to Bangladesh's fortunes will be opener Anamul Haque, one of the few batsmen, who have shown any real fight. The talented right-hander made a brisk 44 against India, but failed to carry on from the strong start, and that is something Anamul wants to put right in Bangladesh's next two matches.
"I am not necessarily just concerned about my own form," he said. "The team could have had a bigger score had I converted my 40 into a 70. I think the batsman who's scoring, has to take the responsibility. I think I should be doing that.
"If either of Tamim bhai or Shakib bhai was in my situation, they would have played a bigger innings. I have to do the same. I hope to play a big innings. Not all batsmen stay in form in a team. If I get to thirty in the next two games, I will try to make it big."
Team news: Pakistan: With a week's rest, all the players will be refreshed and raring to go, and it is unlikely that the team will make any change to the side that beat Australia.
Bangladesh: Changes have been afoot for the home side as they look to find the right combination, and more could be witnessed, with experienced left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak likely to be included.
Expected lineups: Pakistan: Kamran Akmal, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammed Hafeez, Umar Akmal, Sohaib Maqsood, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Bilawal Bhatti, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Zulfiqar Babar.
Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Anamul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mahmudullah, Ziaur Rahman, Mashrafe Mortaza, Abdur Razzak, Al-Amin Hossain.
