Pakistan vs Bangladesh Highlights, World Cup 2023: Pakistan's all-round show blow Bangladesh by 7 wickets

Pakistan vs Bangladesh Live Score, PAK vs BAN World Cup 2023: An average of 34.50 in a tournament for any top order batter is considered fairly ok in general parlance but someone of Babar Azam's stature, it is pretty much an unmitigated disaster. It stands in stark contrast to the 56.72 career average that he boasts in the format which also includes 19 centuries in just 111 innings. Babar's scores have read 5, 10, 50, 18, 74 and 50 and he did himself no favours with the manner in which he got out in his latest innings just when Pakistan needed him to stay till the end.

Pakistan vs Bangladesh Live Score, PAK vs BAN World Cup 2023: They currently sit four points adrift of fourth spot in seventh place and Afghanistan are fifth on six points. If Pakistan win all their three remaining games and have 10 points in their account, they need to then hope that Australia, presently placed fourth with eight points in six games, lose all their three matches against Afghanistan, England and Bangladesh. They need Sri Lanka to lose two of their remaining three matches, against India, New Zealand and Bangladesh. This will leave Australia with eight points and not allow Sri Lanka to gain more than six points. Another way is if New Zealand falters big time. The Black Caps have eight points and if they lose at least two of their remaining three matches, they can't go beyond 10.

Pakistan vs Bangladesh Live Score, PAK vs BAN World Cup 2023: It all started with rumours going around that PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf is not responding to Babar Azam's calls or messages. No, wait a minute, let's be real. It all started with the fact that Pakistan lost four consecutive matches in the tournament. Anyhow, Ashraf publicly said that these allegations were not true and Babar hasn't tried to contact him at all. He said that the captain usually talks to the chief operating officer or the director of international cricket and then went on to reaveal a Whatsapp conversation between Babar Azam and COO Salman Naseer. This entire saga came days after PCB put out a statement in which they basically said that they basically washed their hands off by saying that they gave Babar and chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq freedom to choose the squad as they felt that is what will benefit the team.

Pakistan vs Bangladesh Live Score, PAK vs BAN World Cup 2023: Most of the drama around the Pakistan squad has been based on their captain and the same can be said about Bangladesh's skipper. While the rest of the squad arrived in Kolkata for this game, Shakib travelled about 305km east of the city to Dhaka where he had a two-day training stint with his mentor Nazmul Abedeen Faheem. Shakib arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday afternoon, a day after Bangladesh's 149-run loss to South Africa in Mumbai, and went straight to the Shere Bangla National Stadium to work with Abedeen. The session reportedly lasted three hours with Shakib mainly taking throwdowns in the nets. This is the kind of thing that will be praised as sheer genius if he does well today, or a captain abdicating his responsibilities of leading the team and what not if he doesn't score.

Pakistan vs Bangladesh Live Score, PAK vs BAN World Cup 2023: It is a warm and sultry afternoon with very high humidity and so the likelihood of the team winning the toss choosing to bat first is high.

Pakistan vs Bangladesh Live Score, PAK vs BAN World Cup 2023: Bangladesh don't have the greatest of records in the World Cup but even by those standards, this has been a dismal performance. Especially considering they probably have more potentially world class or proven players in their side than arguably ever before. Bangladesh began their campaign with a win against Afghanistan. But since then, they haven't failed to register a single win, dropping to ninth place in the standings. Shakib Al Hasan and Co. defeated Afghanistan by six wickets in their opener, but then lost to England by 137 runs in their next game. In their third match, they lost once again to New Zealand, by eight wickets. In their last three matches, they lost to India (by seven wickets), South Africa (by 149 runs) and Netherlands (by 87 runs).

Pakistan vs Bangladesh Live Score, PAK vs BAN World Cup 2023: Pakistan were the first team to face India in an ODI hosted at the Eden Gardens back in February 1987. They have a fantastic record at the iconic venue, having won five of the six ODIS they have played here.

Pakistan vs Bangladesh Live Score, PAK vs BAN World Cup 2023: Fakhar Zaman is now fit and Imam-ul-Haq has not been in the best of forms this Word Cup. With the kind of negativity surrounding the team at the moment, Pakistan might just go for that change, even if just to show that they tried something. Imam does have a good record against Bangladesh though. He has scores of 83, 100 and 78 in the three matches agianst them.

Pakistan vs Bangladesh Live Score, PAK vs BAN World Cup 2023: Bangladesh are still on two points which means it is now mathematically impossible for them to qualify for the semi-finals. However, there are still the Champions Trophy spots to play for and if they do manage to finish in the top eight, they can qualify for that tournament. They are currently ninth.

Pakistan vs Bangladesh Live Score, PAK vs BAN World Cup 2023: Litton Das, Tanzid Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan(c), Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Mahmudullah, Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed, Towhid Hridoy, Hasan Mahmud, Tanzim Hasan Sakib

Pakistan vs Bangladesh Live Score, PAK vs BAN World Cup 2023: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(w), Iftikhar Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Haris Rauf, Usama Mir, Hasan Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Agha Salman

Pakistan vs Bangladesh Live Score, PAK vs BAN World Cup 2023: As far as poor form goes, Pakistan and Bangladesh have given England a run for their money. The two sides have been dismal for much of the World Cup, Pakistan ever since their third match against India, Bangladesh, well, throughout the tournament. As is often the case, off-field drama has somewhat overshadowed the teams' campaigns, particularly in Pakistan's case.