ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023: Can Pakistan beat Bangladesh to keep their semi-final hope alive?
Though Pakistan made a positive start to their World Cup campaign by winning their first two matches, they somehow seem to have forgotten how to win in their next four matches. They have been below par in all three departments and questions have been raised on team’s intent. On the other hand, Bangladesh have had a forgettable World Cup campaign, as they have failed to perform as a well-oiled unit.
On October 31, match number 31 of ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 will see Bangladesh and Pakistan playing against each other at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Head-to-Head
Bangladesh and Pakistan have played 38 ODIs against each other since 1986, of which Pakistan have won 33 and Bangladesh have won five. In India, they have never played an ODI against each other. At the World Cups, they have met twice, with each team winning once.
| Particulars | Pakistan | Bangladesh |
| ICC ODI Rankings | 3 | 8 |
| Wins in ODIs | 33 | 5 |
| At World Cups | 1 | 1 |
Performance in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 so far..
Bangladesh and Pakistan will play their seventh match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. While Pakistan have won two and lost their last four consecutive matches, Bangladesh won their first match and suffered defeats in their next five games.
| Match number | Pakistan | Bangladesh |
| 1 | Beat Netherlands by 81 runs | Beat Afghanistan by 6 wickets |
| 2 | Beat Sri Lanka by 6 wickets | Lost to England by 137 runs |
| 3 | Lost to India by 7 wickets | Lost to New Zealand by 8 wickets |
| 4 | Lost to Australia by 62 runs | Lost to India by 7 wickets |
| 5 | Lost to Afghanistan by 8 wickets | Lost to South Africa by 149 runs |
| 6 | Lost to South Africa by 1 wicket | Lost to Netherlands by 87 runs |
Squads
Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan (c), Litton Kumer Das, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib.
Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim.
Injury updates
Pakistan’s Shadab Khan suffered a concussion in the previous match against South Africa. Usama Mir substituted him. Also, for Pakistan, their right arm speedster Hasan Ali was ruled out of the South Africa match due to fever. He is declared fit for the Bangladesh match. Now besides Shadab, there are no other injury concerns for Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Playing conditions
Eden Gardens in Kolkata will host the encounter between Bangladesh and Pakistan. It will be a day and night match. The venue will host its second match of this tournament. The team batting first won the previous match played here as it successfully defended 229. The conditions will be good for an exciting game of cricket, with something in the pitch for both batters and bowlers.
Weather
The weather is expected to be hazy. The maximum temperature attained during the day will be 33 degrees Celsius. There will be no cloud cover and 1% chance of rain. The wind will blow from the north.
Players to watch out for
Mahmudullah: Bangladesh’s right-handed middle order batter has been the most prolific batter for his team with 218 runs in five matches at an average of 73 and strike rate of 92.
Shoriful Islam: The left-arm speedster of Bangladesh has been impressive with eight wickets in six matches. He has been bowling well with the new ball.
Mohammad Rizwan: The right-handed middle order batter and wicket-keeper of Pakistan has scored 333 runs in six matches at an average of 67 and strike rate of 97.
Shaheen Afridi: With one wicket away from completing 100 ODI wickets, this left arm pace sensation of Pakistan has claimed 13 wickets in six matches, including one four wicket haul.
Milestones alert
- Hasan Ali and Shaheen Afridi need 1 wicket to complete100 ODI wickets
- Mustafizur Rehman will play his 100th ODI
- Mehidy Hasan Miraz needs 3 wickets to complete100 ODI wickets
- Litton Das needs 70 runs to complete 2500 ODI runs
- Najmul Hossain Shanto needs 9 runs to complete 1000 ODI runs
Match details
Date: October 31, 2023
Time: 2:00 PM IST
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Live streaming: Star Sports, Hotstar
All the statistics are sourced from ESPN Cricinfo