🏏ICC Champions Trophy 2025: PAK vs BD, Match 9, Group A🏏

🏏ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Pakistan vs Bangladesh, Match 9, Group A at Rawalpindi on 27/02/2025 at 2:30PM IST🏏

Pakistan and Bangladesh look - or hope - to sign off on a positive note

The two teams haven't made their own luck at the tournament, looking out of ideas at most times, and go into their last fixture knowing the result doesn't really matter

Pakistan and Bangladesh hope rain stays away

It has not been a tournament to remember for either Pakistan or Bangladesh, and the team talks ahead of their last game, against each other in Rawalpindi, are likely to be similar: play for pride, etc. With some chatter about the poor weather - if it continues, as the forecast says, the long faces in the two dressing rooms will get longer.

Pakistan's numbers in the Champions Trophy matches against New Zealand and India don't make for pretty reading. Their top-order batters haven't pulled their collective weight. With Fakhar Zaman out injured, Imam-ul-Haq came in and didn't do much. Saud Shakeel and Babar Azam have both hit a half-century each, but not been able to have any major impact. Mohammad Rizwan hasn't looked in any sort of form despite scoring a century in the tri-series at home before the Champions Trophy. Pakistan could bring in Kamran Ghulam just to freshen things up, but who do they drop?

After the top four, it's no better. Khushdil Shah, Salman Agha and Tayyab Tahir seem to be playing similar roles, which has led to stagnation in the middle. Faheem Ashraf, potentially, could have balanced the side a bit, but hasn't been given a go. And the quick bowlers have struggled to control the flow. India took apart Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf. Naseem Shah has been better, but has looked below his best. Abrar Ahmed has bowled one great delivery that was overshadowed by his celebration.

Bangladesh haven't been too different, bar their quick bowling. Their batting has been one-dimensional, and not been able to go through the gears, with the lower order having to bail them out. Their top order caved in against India, while Michael Bracewell's offspin got rid of their middle order in the other game. Najmul Hossain Shanto showed form against New Zealand, while Jaker Ali has been consistent - they might have to do even more against Pakistan. As is the case with Towhid Hridoy, who scored an impressive century against India.

But they will want veterans Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah to sign off from what could be their last ICC game with a bang and not a whimper. Their lack of fire has been disappointing to see, though, in Mahmudullah's case, it's just been one match and one failure.

Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana have to do the heavy lifting again on Thursday, with Mustafizur Rahman continuing to be steady without being spectacular. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Rishad Hossain, the lead spinners, have a lot to do, too, especially in Rawalpindi where they should have a more central role.

But the two teams will also be looking beyond this game. They have to set their priorities right in the domestic circuit and then look for improvement in their international teams. They will both have to go back to the drawing board ahead of the next ICC tournament, and figure out how they can make a better fist of it, especially with a transition of sorts possibly around the corner.

Prediction Form for today's match between Pakistan and Bangladesh

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Format for predictions

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-Winning Team -- 5 points --

-Man of the Match -- 15 points --

-Hit the most 4s -- 10 Points --

-Hit the most 6s --10 points --

-Taking the majority of wickets --10 points --

-Making the most runs -- 10 points --

When: Thursday, February 27 at 2:00 PM Local Time

Where: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium

What to expect: The Australia vs South Africa match at this venue was abandoned without a toss due to persistent rain on Tuesday. With a similar forecast for Thursday, Pakistan and Bangladesh might see their disappointing campaigns end with a soggy farewell.

Form guide

Pakistan LLLWL (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)

Bangladesh LLLLL

Team news:

Pakistan: Kamran Ghulam, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Hasnain and Usman Khan have not got a game yet in this Champions Trophy. Pakistan might look at including a few of them or all of them, with nothing riding on this match.

Probable XI: Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Usman Khan, Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), Salman Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

Bangladesh: This is likely to be the final ODI in an ICC event for two Bangladesh legends - Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah - with the team likely to transition to the younger players in the near future, building up to the next one-day ICC event. Bangladesh are likely to stick to the same eleven that took the field against New Zealand.

Probable XI: Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Mustafizur Rahman

Pakistan vs Bangladesh

Pitch Report

Pakistan will hope that their farewell from their own Champions Trophy is not rained out. There is rain in the forecast. The previous match at the venue, between South Africa and Australia, was abandoned because of rain too. The pitch would have been under cover for a lot of the last three days by the time the game starts, and there's always the chance of extra moisture around the square.

Pitch and conditions: An eye on the weather

The Rawalpindi Stadium is known as a good track, aiding pacers and batters equally. The ball comes on nicely as the match progresses but pacers have assistance early on. The pitch report will be telecast live just before the toss (2 p.m. IST).

Pakistan vs Bangladesh Weather Forecast

The Australia vs South Africa match in Rawalpindi was washed out due to persistent rain. Rain probability of 70% is expected for this match, which could reduce it from a 50-overs-a-side affair.

Stats and trivia: Bangladesh's pacers slightly better

• This is the first Pakistan vs Bangladesh contest in Champions Trophy history
• Pakistan beat Bangladesh in their only previous ODI in Rawalpindi in 2003
• Pakistan have a 12-0 overall home record against Bangladesh in ODIs
• The fast bowlers across the two teams have taken 11 wickets, but Bangladesh's group has a bowling average of 44.83 and have conceded runs at 5.12 per over, while Pakistan's have an average of 63.50 and an economy rate of 7.18.

What they said:

I said a lot of times that we need to improve a lot as a batting unit, but we did same mistakes over and over. We have to really, really focus on how we want to improve our batting. I hope after this tournament we will make some changes as a batting unit and think in a different way and then try to improve our batting - Najmul Hossain Shanto, Bangladesh captain.

Did you know?

- This will the first time that Pakistan and Bangladesh play each other in a Champions Trophy match

- Most dot balls in this CT -- 181 (BAN v NZ), 162 (PAK v NZ), 160 (BAN v IND), 156 (AFG v SA), 152 (PAK v IND)

- In overs 1 to 10 since January 2013, Pakistan's scoring rate of 4.84 is the second lowest after Afghanistan (4.5) among current CT teams

Squads:

Bangladesh Squad: Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto(c), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Nahid Rana, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Parvez Hossain Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Soumya Sarkar

Pakistan Squad: Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan(w/c), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Usman Khan, Faheem Ashraf

Head to Head - Last 5 Matches

Pakistan won by 7 wickets (with 105 balls remaining), 31-Oct-2023

Pakistan won by 7 wickets (with 63 balls remaining), 06-Sep-2023

Pakistan won by 94 runs, 05-Jul-2019

Bangladesh won by 37 runs, 26-Sep-2018

Bangladesh won by 8 wickets (with 63 balls remaining), 22-Apr-2015