Who: Pakistan vs Bangladesh
What: ICC Champions Trophy Group A match
When: Thursday, February 27 at 2pm (09:00 GMT)
Where: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Follow Al Jazeera’s live text and photo commentary stream from 05:00 GMT.
Pakistan’s hurting players will be motivated by pride in their dead rubber against Bangladesh, head coach Aaqib Javed said, after the hosts were dumped out of the Champions Trophy in the group stage.
The defending champions’ hopes of reaching the semifinals were ended after defeats to New Zealand and India, leaving their final Group A game in Rawalpindi inconsequential.
Rain washed out the Australia-South Africa Group B match on Tuesday and more is predicted on Thursday, leaving Pakistan in danger of finishing fourth and last on net run-rate.
Whatever happens, it will be a disappointing conclusion to Pakistan’s first hosting of a major international cricket competition in three decades.
“There are no excuses, there shouldn’t be any in life, but I can assure you that the players are more hurt than the fans and want to leave a mark in the last game,” said Aaqib on Wednesday.
“The players are not satisfied, no one is satisfied after losing, but everyone tries hard to win, and by doing so, we have recently won a series in Australia and South Africa.”
Pakistan beat Australia 2-1 in November – their first ODI series win there for 22 years – before whitewashing South Africa 3-0 in the build-up to the Champions Trophy.
“This is the Champions Trophy, where the eight best teams are playing, so after two defeats we have to start from zero,” said Aaqib.
“Every game is played for pride, so we want to leave a mark on Thursday,” said Aaqib.
Their Champions Trophy flop left former Pakistan players and fans angry over the continuous failure of the team, having also crashed out of the 2023 World Cup and Twenty20 World Cup last year, both in the first round.
Aaqib admitted losing to archrivals India left fans emotional.
“People are more involved in an India-Pakistan match and they do not accept a defeat against India and that defeat in Dubai has left them more dejected,” said Aaqib.
Pakistan were below par against a formidable India in Dubai on Sunday, losing by six wickets.
“We managed just 241 in batting and when facing a strong batting line-up, you attack in order to get wickets, and in the process, you bowl on both sides,” said Aaqib.
A fast bowler himself, who played 22 Tests and 163 ODIs for Pakistan, Aaqib backed his struggling pace trio.
“People blamed two, three players, which is not correct,” said Aaqib. “If you assess Shaheen [Afridi], Naseem [Shah] and Haris [Rauf], they are still the best bowlers in the world.”
Pakistan vs Bangladesh: Head-to-head record
In terms of match results, Pakistan hold an upper hand over their South Asian opponents in all formats of the game.
In ODIs, the hosts have beaten Bangladesh in 34 of their 39 encounters with the last one coming at the World Cup 2023 in India.
Bangladesh’s first of five wins came at the World Cup 1999 in England, where they famously beat the mighty Pakistan side of the 1990s in the group stage.
The teams have never faced each other in the Champions Trophy’s eight previous editions.
Form guide: Pakistan
The hosts came into the tournament on the back of three ODI series wins but swiftly left the form behind to lose their first two group matches. From their misfiring batting lineup to poor fielding and below-par bowling, not much has gone Pakistan’s way in the tournament.
Last five ODIs: L W L L L
Forum guide: Bangladesh
Bangladesh’s form in ODI cricket has been abysmal of late, with the Tigers losing all three matches away to West Indies in December on the back of a 2-1 series loss against Afghanistan in November.
Last five ODIs: L L L L L
Team news: Pakistan
Pakistan could opt to make a couple of changes in their lineup for their last group match as it is inconsequential to their fate in the tournament. Middle-order batter Tayyab Tahir could lose his spot to Kamran Ghulam, while the hosts may also be tempted to slot in Usman Khan for Imam-ul-Haq.
Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain, wicketkeeper),Salman Ali Agha (vice captain), Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi
Team news: Bangladesh
Bangladesh are expected to field the same XI that faced New Zealand on Monday.
Squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper), Towhid Hridoy, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan, Nahid Rana
