Daijiworld Media Network

Dhaka, Mar 11 : Hello and welcome to the first clash of what is set to be an exciting Asia Cup. Bangladesh are all set to take on Pakistan and the Banglas will have their home crowd right behind them. The atmosphere should be electric when these rivals face up against each other and the hosts might fancy their chances against Pakistan, especially after the visitors were handed out a 4-0 ODI drubbing by England. Misbah and his men though will be keen to start this series afresh and will certainly want to impose themselves on a team like Bangladesh who to be fair has never gone past the tag of being minnows.

Pitch Report: There is a little bit of grass on the wicket but that can be a little deceptive. As the day progresses the track should get slower and the ball will start keeping a little low. This pitch should produce a lot of runs, there hasn't been any dew in the past two days so the outfield should be quick.

Lets not forget that a few of the Pakistanis in this squad have just finished playing in the Bangladesh Premier League and they would have a fair idea of what sort of conditions to expect. That being said some of the Bangladeshis would have also figured out the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents during the BPL. Sit back then and get ready to enjoy what should be an enthralling encounter.

Bangladesh have won the toss and elected to field

Mushfiqur Rahim: We would like to bowl first since the wicket looks fresh. We are playing three quick bowlers so we hope they will get some assistance and pick up early wickets. This is a big opportunity for us to show our skills

Misbah: Yes we would have batted first either way. There are a few changes to our side, Azhar Ali has been replaced by Nasir Jamshed. We have performed here well, the team knows these conditions well and we won the quarter final of the World Cup here. So we have a good record on this track in that sense

Mashrafe Mortaza is playing today and the last time he wore that Bangladesh jersey was in the series after the World Cup against Australia on the 13th of April 2011.

Teams:

Bangladesh (From): Mushfiqur Rahim(w/c), Anamul Haque, Imrul Kayes, Mahmudullah, Nazmul Hossain, Shahadat Hossain, Tamim Iqbal, Abdur Razzak, Elias Sunny, Jahurul Islam, Mashrafe Mortaza, Nazimuddin, Shafiul Islam, Shakib Al Hasan, Nasir Hossain

Pakistan (From): Misbah-ul-Haq(c), Sarfraz Ahmed(w), Aizaz Cheema, Mohammad Hafeez, Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul, Younis Khan, Abdur Rehman, Asad Shafiq, Hammad Azam, Nasir Jamshed, Wahab Riaz, Umar Akmal

Fan Face-off between Sid V and Vishaal

Hosts Bangladesh and Pakistan kick off the Asia Cup with both teams looking to get off to a winning start and garner enough momentum to give them a big push towards the finals.

Sid V(supporting Bangladesh) and Vishaal(supporting Pakistan) face off and try to reason out why they think their team will triumph.

Sid V: After the recent 0-4 thrashing of Pakistan by England in the recent tour of UAE, is the team vulnerable to teams like Bangladesh?

Vishaal: Well, the 4-0 thrashing was a major setback. It was one Pakistan would not have expected especially after their superb recent performances. But the wake up call keeps them in good stead for the Asia Cup and I expect them to comeback stronger and make Bangladesh pay.

Sid V: Misbah-ul-Haq was insipid with his captaincy with regards to his bowling changes and his field placements. The batting also looked fragile. I think Pakistan will live up to their tag as enigmas and succumb to defeat against Bangladesh

Vishaal: Misbah has been a great calming influence during turbulent times for the Pakistan team and he is vital for their chances. He may have been defensive at times but has been a vital cog in the the Pakistan team that has defied the odds and been consistently brilliant over the last year. A Pakistan defeat is out of the question unless someone from Bangladesh come out with a super human effort, which is highly unlikely given the lack of quality in the team.

Sid V: The Pakistan fielding is shambolic. The Pakistan middle order is slightly brittle and they sometimes struggle to up the tempo. Barring Younis Khan, is there any other player who can step upto the plate and deliver the knock-out blow to Bangladesh?
Vishaal: The Pakistan team is filled with talent. From the very top to the bottom. The batting may suffer with respect to upping the tempo but with the likes of Mohd. Hafeez, Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi in the side they are capable of upping the ante when required. Misbah and Younis provide much needed steel and experience to the middle order. And we all know every player in the bowling line up is capable of playing a match winning role.

Sid V: Okay, last question. Pakistan have a poor Asia Cup record. They have won this cup only once. Do you think they can overcome the historical odds and win this edition of the tournament?
Vishaal: If there is one team for whom history, odds don't matter it's for the Pakistan team. They are definitely in with a chance to win the tourney eventhough I would rate the Lankans as the favourite.

Vishaal: Well, hot seat time for you. 11 games at home against Pakistan and you have never managed to beat them once. Forget beat Pakistan, you've never even managed to run them close in even one game? Do you think you can really put up a side that can compete against Misbah's men?
Sid V: It is true that Bangladesh have not defeated Pakistan in any format. However, two things work in favor of Bangladesh now. The recent 0-4 thrashing by England has exposed the vulnerability of Pakistan in this format. It is also a known fact that the law of averages catches up sometimes. Bangladesh have the capability to upset Pakistan, but it needs tremendous application from the batsmen as well as accurate bowling from Bangladesh.

Vishaal: Is there anyone apart from Shakib al Hasan who can perform on a consistent basis for Bangladesh? Mushfiqir Rahim is your next best bet but he neither has the big hitting prowess nor the guile of other top players to be a serious threat.
Sid V: One more person is in that mix. Nasir Hossain has proven himself to be a capable batsmen in the ODI format. Tamim Iqbal's current form is a worry but he can turn it around and once that happens, the Bangladesh top order will be potent. Shahriar Nafees is a capable batsmen and Anamul Haque showed that he possesses immense talent during the recent Bangladesh Premier League. He played some vital knocks, including an unbeaten 49 to guide his team to victory. If the Bangladeshi batsmen apply themselves, then they can be a tough nut to crack as they showed in the 2007 World Cup

Vishaal: From the current squad only Nasir Hossain averages more than 30 at home since Jan 2011(minimum 5 matches). Surely being the home team you will need players to punch above their weight in a tournament that features heavyweights in ODIs.
Sid V: The problem with Bangladesh cricket has been their inability to perform well as a team. Shakib has been the star with the ball but the others have not contributed. Nasir Hossain was the star batsmen in the previous bilateral series against Pakistan but the others failed to contribute. Both the batting and bowling must contribute collectively. An all-rounder like Shakib needs support from the other bowlers while batsmen like Nasir Hossain, Rahim and Shakib need support from the top order.

Vishaal: The selectors have called back a few familiar faces like Mashrafe Mortaza and Shahadat Hossain. They seem to be going by a few good performances in the BPL to pick the team. Dangerous don't you think?
Sid V: I agree that it is a bit risky. Both batsmen have not played international cricket for a long time and they will be rusty. However, both bowlers are vital to Bangladesh's fast bowling interests. Mashrafe and Shahadat were the spearheads before the emergence of Shafiul Islam and Rubel Hossain. The key for Bangladesh is that Mashrafe must be fit. Shahadat must maintain a consistent line and length. If both get their act together, combined with the left arm spinners in operation for most of the time, this Bangladesh attack can be tricky to negotiate. The contention of selectors going by the performance in the BPL to pick a team is a good choice because Bangladesh have not played any international cricket since December

Vishaal: Honestly, what kind of performance would you be happy with. What do you expect from Bangladesh in this series?

Sid V: Looking at the performances of Bangladesh in the last couple of years, it would not be surprising if they are blanked out by everybody. However, they have the capability to defeat any opposition on their given day. India are down on confidence while Pakistan are unpredictable. Sri Lanka will be the toughest team to beat in this competition, so my guess is that Bangladesh might pull off a surprise but they will still be considered the whipping boys in this tournament.