Pakistan vs Bangladesh, World Cup 2019: Top five player battles – Bangla Tigers face Shaheen challenge

Pakistan’s resurgence in the World Cup looked eerily close to the 1992 Cup-winning edition before India’s loss to England dented their hopes of a semifinal spot and when New Zealand went down to the hosts last night, it was almost over for them. Let’s take a look at some important player battles that could decide the outcome of the match

Their semi-final chances reduced to just a mathematical possibility, former champions Pakistan will need an improbable win over Bangladesh to have a shot at making the semifinals of the World Cup when the two sides clash at Lord’s on Friday. Pakistan’s resurgence in the World Cup looked eerily close to the 1992 Cup-winning edition before India’s loss to England dented their hopes of a semifinal spot and when New Zealand went down to the hosts last night, it was almost over for them. Let’s take a look at some important player battles that could decide the outcome of the match –

Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi (2R) celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of Afghanistan's Najibullah Zadran during the 2019 Cricket World Cup group stage match between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Headingley in Leeds, northern England, on June 29, 2019. (Photo by Lindsey Parnaby / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (AFP)

Tamim Iqbal vs Mohammad Amir

Opener Tamim Iqbal will look for a final flourish when he comes to the field for one last time in the tournament. Things aren’t going to be easy as he will have to face the pace of Mohammad Amir early on in the innings. The two have never faced each other in ODIs but in domestic T20 competitions, Amir has got rid of him once.

Soumya Sarkar vs Wahab Riaz

Opener Soumya Sarkar has had few starts in the tournament but hasn’t been able to convert into into big innings. Against Pakistan, he will come up against fast-bowler Wahab Riaz, who has been hot and cold in the tournament. Off 29 Riaz deliveries, Sarkar has scored 20 runs in ODIs and he hasn’t been dismissed by the pacer even once.

Shakib Al Hasan vs Shaheen Shah Afridi

Shakib has been easily one of the best batsmen of the tournament so far and he has set numerous records on his way to scoring 542 runs. The job of stopping him short in his path will be handed to Shaheen Afridi, who has been in rich wicket-taking form. In four outings, he has scalped 10 wickets and has been leading Pakistan’s charge. The two have never faced each other in ODIs but expect sparks to fly when they do come face to face.

Imam-ul-Haq vs Mustafizur Rahman

Opener Imam-ul-Haq has had a disappointing campaign thus far but he will look to end on a high. Standing in front of him will be Mustafizur Rahman, who is coming into the match with a five-wicket haul against India. Mustafizur has bowled 8 deliveries to Imam in ODIs and has conceded just 9 runs. But this match-up will be more than these stats.

Babar Azam vs Shakib Al Hasan

Top-order batsman Babar Azam has been among the most consistent player for Pakistan in the tournament. He is likely to come-up against Shakib Al Hasan, who usually bowls in the middle overs. Shakib hasn’t just scored bucket-load of runs in the tournament but he has also scalped wickets for them. Shakib has dismissed Babar once in domestic T20 cricket but the two haven’ yet faced each other in ODIs.