They are down, but not entirely out yet. After four back-to-back losses in the 2023 ODI World Cup, the last one of which was particularly gutting, Pakistan are on the brink of elimination in the group stage. But though battered and bruised, the Men In Green still have a mathematical shot at making the semi-finals. And they would like to leave no stone unturned in trying to get there. Pakistan must win all three of their remaining games to stand a chance, and the first one is against long-time rivals Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens on Tuesday. (Streaming | Match Blog | Preview | Scorecard)
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Pakistan mounted a stirring fightback against South Africa in Chennai, and if not for an extremely close DRS call that went against them, they might have been in an entirely different position right now. Ifs and buts don't win you competitions, however, and the Babar Azam-led side must deal with the situation at hand prudently.
They will face Bangladesh, a side that has had an even worse run in the ODI World Cup so far. The Bangla Tigers have lost five of their six games, and are as good as eliminated. After a thorough 87-run thrashing by Netherlands in Kolkata, a distraught Shakib Al Hasan said he doesn't know "what's on the players' minds". But he will have to brush away the disappointment and get down to business, to salvage some pride in the last three games.
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Let's take a look at three key battles that could decide the fate of the PAK vs BAN game in Kolkata:
Shaheen Shah Afridi Vs Mohammad Mahmudullah
Pakistan pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi has gradually come into his own and is now firing on all cylinders in the World Cup. Though they came in losing causes, Afridi's five-wicket haul against Australia in Bengaluru and three wickets against South Africa in Chennai catapulted him into the top five wicket-takers' list and would have spurred him on to do even better in the coming matches. He will not have it easy against Mohammad Mahmudullah, Bangladesh's batting all-rounder who has been their top-scorer so far and smashed a century against South Africa.
Haris Rauf Vs Litton Das
Bangladesh opener Litton Das has the propensity to cause headaches for opposition new-ball bowlers with his unfettered strokeplay and flair. The right-hander has notched up 180 runs in the ODI World Cup so far and would be looking to make a bigger mark on Tuesday. But he will have his task cut out against tearaway Pakistan speedster Haris Rauf, who has picked up 10 wickets in the tournament so far. Rauf has demonstrated an ability to extract steep bounce from a good length and will look to make the most of that ability to unsettle the right-handed Das.
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Babar Azam Vs Shakib Al Hasan
The battle of the beleaguered skippers could be a fascinating one to watch. All sorts of rumours are rife about the future of Babar Azam's captaincy, with many even speculating about a mid-tournament sacking. He would be raring to prove his detractors wrong the best way he can - with the bat. But he will have his similarly wounded counterpart to contend with. Despite his issues with the batting and fielding departments, Shakib Al Hasan said they must find a way to lift themselves up and end on a high. What better way to do that than by leading from the front with his left-arm spin?
