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KOLKATA: Bangladesh Shakib Al Hassan has opted to bat first against Pakistan after winning the toss at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in what is a must-win match for the Green Shirts if they wish to stay in the World Cup.
After having an ideal start to the tournament by winning the opening two games against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, Pakistan slipped through the ranks losing four consecutive games.
The team not only requires victories in its remaining three games but will also have to rely on fate leaning in terms of semi-final hope.
The players had a rigorous training session at Eden Gardens, a venue marked by significant encounters, triumphs, and heartbreaks for Pakistan.
Changes in playing XI
Meanwhile, Green Shirts have made three changes to their playing XI.
Fakhar Zaman, Usama Mir and Salman Ali Agha have been included in the squad in place of Imam-ul-Haq, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz respectively.
Shadab Khan has been benched after he suffered a concussion in Pakistan’s last match against South Africa.
“After a thorough assessment, the medical panel had no choice but to rule him out of the match against Bangladesh,” said the PCB ahead of the toss.
Against Bangladesh, Pakistan have a dominance, playing 38 games, and winning 33 out of them.
In World Cups, both teams have won a game each. Their last World Cup encounter was at Lord’s in 2019, where Imam-ul-Haq scored a hundred and Shaheen Afridi clipped 6-35 (best bowling figures for a Pakistan bowler in a World Cup match).
Playing XIs
Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama Mir, Mohammad Wasim, Haris Rauf.
Bangladesh: Litton Das (wk), Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan (c), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Towhid Hridoy, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam.
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