Fresh from the win in the first one-day international on Friday, and that too after 16 years, Bangladesh set the target of completing the first-ever series victory against Pakistan in the second match.
The two sides meet in their second day-night match on Saturday at the same venue, Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur.
Bangladesh’s regular captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza is most likely to return to the side and lead the team. He had a successful mission in the world cup in Australia and New Zealand. Abul Hasan may have to leave to see Mashrafe playing.
The home team, beating Pakistan with a 79-run margin on Friday after their only win in 1999, look confident of taking up the challenge of an unpredictable Pakistan side.
The stand-in captain in the first match, Shakib Al Hasan, expressed confidence that the Bangladesh side could record win following the victory in the first match.
Pakistan’s new captain Azhar Ali is under pressure to lead his team to bounce back from the losing mood. Pakistan may play a fifth bowler after their part-timers conceded huge runs (79) in 10 overs in the previous match.
Azhar Ali, too, expressed his determination to bounce back in the second match and show a much better performance.
Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Mahmudullah, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Sabbir Rahman, 7 Nasir Hossain, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 9 Arafat Sunny, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Rubel Hossain
Pakistan (probable): 1 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 2 Azhar Ali (capt), 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Haris Sohail, 5 Mohammad Rizwan, 6 Fawad Alam, 7 Saad Nasim/Zulfiqar Babar, 8 Wahab Riaz, 9 Junaid Khan, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Rahat Ali
Source: Prothom-Alo
