🏏Cricket World Cup 2023: Match #31: Bangladesh vs Pakistan 31 Oct 🏏

🏏Cricket World Cup 2023: Match #31: Bangladesh vs Pakistan at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on 31/10/2023 at 2:00 PM IST 🏏

Bangladesh meet Pakistan in derby of subcontinental misery

While one side has the slimmest of chances to reach the semi-finals, the other only has Champions Trophy qualification left to play for

This is as much a misery derby as it is a subcontinental one. But for England's doomed title defence, Bangladesh and Pakistan are the two sides at the bottom of the form table, having combined to lose their last nine matches in this competition. In a sequence of events that has become wearily predictable, off-field drama has overshadowed the lack of on-field accomplishment. Shakib Al Hasan bizarrely flew back home to Bangladesh to work on his batting technique after their game against South Africa, while in Pakistan, accusations of unpaid salaries, player power, and PCB incompetence and malfeasance have already relegated World Cup performances to a sideshow.

While Pakistan are trying to delay going back home for at least one more game, all Bangladesh have left is to attempt to book a flight to Pakistan in 2025. The ICC's surprise late announcement that the top eight finishers at this World Cup would secure qualification to the 2025 Champions Trophy means Bangladesh have something to fight for after their 87-run defeat to the Netherlands officially made them the first side to be knocked out of semi-finals contention. New Zealand's narrow defeat to Australia, meanwhile, has opened a tiny window of opportunity for Pakistan to still sneak through in historically Pakistan-esque circumstances, provided they win their remaining games and New Zealand lose theirs.

Neither of these sides, though, has earned the right to be talking about the semi-finals. Bangladesh's campaign began with bright optimism after a respectable Asia Cup showing in which they finished third, and followed it up with a thumping win over Sri Lanka in a warm-up game. A half-decent opening game against England was backed up by a trouncing of Afghanistan, which, given the latter's recent form, looks a much more impressive showing now than it was then given credit for. But they have crumbled spectacularly since, never coming close to victory in any of their last five games, that limp defeat to the Dutch the nadir.

Pakistan are still drinking from that toxic concoction of hope and the threat of recriminations. Two wins to start off papered over some cracks, paper that India, Australia, Afghanistan and South Africa ripped apart to expose the barrenness of the structure they were building on. Injuries and a mystifying collective loss of form has meant this team is unrecognisable from the one that was ranked number one in this format just six weeks ago.

With Babar Azam under pressure for his captaincy and dysfunction at the cricket board back home, Pakistan will want little more than to put off stepping into the ring of fire they'll step into when they return home. And against Bangladesh, they have the opportunity to put in a performance that will enable them to keep dreaming. At the moment, it seems to be all they have.

Tag Credit: Sutapasima

Pakistan vs Bangladesh pitch report

The pitch in Kolkata is generally good for batting, but in the last match at this venue, Bangladesh failed to chase down a 230-run target against the Netherlands. Fast bowlers enjoyed a lot of success in that match at Eden Gardens.

Pakistan vs Bangladesh weather forecast

The skies will be sunny in Kolkata at the start of this match. As the game progresses, the sky will remain clear, with the temperature staying between 28 to 32 degrees Celsius. There is a negligible chance of rain today in Kolkata.

Pitch and conditions

The weather is expected to be bright and sunny, and on the warmer side. While there is no information about the pitch yet, it's the same venue where a low-scoring game played out between Netherlands and Bangladesh on Saturday.

Don't forget to submit your predictions for match 31.

Toss prediction before 1:30 PM IST and rest of the predictions before 2:00 PM IST.

All the very best to everyone!

Tag Credit: Sutapasima

Now here's a contest that might have looked quite different before the start of the World Cup. Pakistan may have expected to strongly be in the running for a top-four slot in the second-half of their campaign and Bangladesh would have represented that tricky opposition, playing not too far away from home and backed up by some of the most varied spin bowlers in the game.

But there's something about this fixture that doesn't quite feel the same now. Bangladesh's rise through the ODI ranks - from making the quarters of the 2015 World Cup to going one better in the 2017 Champions Trophy - has been a joy to behold. Despite the odd periods of stasis, the win over India last year and their general dominance at home is proof that this generation of Bangladesh battlers can never be written off. But in five of the six games this World Cup, they simply haven't been at the races, their usual exuberance drained from one loss to the next. Case in point, their dispiriting display against Netherlands at this very venue on Saturday. Faced with a team displaying the zest of the Bangladesh teams of yore, Shakib Al Hasan's side gave the impression that trying to see out 50 overs was the most important part of their day's work.

And therefore, starting afresh would seem like the best way ahead. The captain, their most iconic player, will step down after this tournament is already considering retirement in a couple of years. Wholesale changes are expected in the coaching staff and potentially to the squad too. The BCB president, though, has thrown his weight, at least publicly, behind this struggling contingent in India.

Which, it would appear, gives them something of an edge over their next opponents. Pakistan's campaign has been a litany of incremental issues, from losing star pacer Naseem Shah before the tournament, to the off-coloured displays from Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf, to a questionably timed and worded media release and now to the resignation of chief selector Inzamam ul Haq midway through the campaign. The net effect is destabilisation and demoralisation. Just when the team would have been expected to strut the same stuff that got them to the No.1 rank just before this tournament, they find themselves dragged down both by in-fighting and incompetence.

They did, however, produce one of their better performances in their last outing, which has to count as progress. Their bowling was full of commitment and menace and on another day, they may have landed on the right side of DRS calls and the result. Interestingly, even after four straight losses, they haven't still been eliminated from this competition and until the guillotine falls, they will have a flicker of a flame to fan. If they can now bat those 50 overs, that will be a great place to (re)start.

Team Watch:

Pakistan

Pakistan needed a concussion substitute to replace Shadab Khan at the start of South Africa's chase in Chennai. If he's showing symptoms of the same, Usama Mir is likely to hold on to that place.

Tactics & Strategy:

In three matches against Bangladesh, Imam-ul-Haq has scores of 83, 100 and 78. He has, however, had his trouble against fast bowling in this tournament with 73 of the 122 balls he's faced against them being dots. He's also been dismissed by a fast bowler in each of his six visits to the crease and would need to work around that part of his game. Fakhar Zaman is now fit and could be breathing down his neck to take up that spot.

Probable XI: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq/Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan/Usama Mir , Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Haris Rauf

Bangladesh

Bangladesh might look to bring in an extra left-arm spinner, Nasum Ahmed, to target the key middle-order pair of Babar and Rizwan.

Tactics & Strategy:

Shakib Al Hasan has dismissed Rizwan twice in the 49 balls he's bowled at him in ODIs. The veteran Bangladesh captain has had a subdued World Cup after a high-flying one four years ago and would be eager to leave his imprint with Champions Trophy place still up for grabs.

Probable XI: Litton Das, Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan (c), Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan, Mahedi Hasan/Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam

Stats and trivia

• Since Bangladesh obtained Test status, they have qualified past the first round of the ODI World Cup as many times as Pakistan - twice in five attempts.
• Until last week, Pakistan hadn't lost to South Africa in the ODI World Cup since 1999. That was also the last time they lost to Bangladesh at an ODI World Cup.
• Three of Bangladesh's four all-time top ODI runscorers - Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib al Hasan, and Mahmudullah - are part of the present squad.

Probable Best Batter:

Babar Azam (Pakistan)

The prominent batter has registered three half-centuries in the tournament but has not displayed his typical form. Nonetheless, he appears to be gradually regaining it. While he made a decent showing against India and South Africa, he couldn't capitalize on good starts in both matches. He is the batter to watch closely in the upcoming clash with Bangladesh.

Also Check: Most Runs in the ODI World Cup 2023

Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)

Amidst a day where the Australian batters dominated the Pakistan bowling attack, Shaheen Shah Afridi distinguished himself. Facing an onslaught, Australia amassed a formidable 367 for 9 in their allotted 50 overs. Afridi has been a standout performer, securing 13 wickets in 6 matches at an average of 22.77. Given the favorable conditions for pacers at Eden Gardens, he is likely to be the preferred bowler in the upcoming match.

In the spotlight

Shakib Al Hasan hasn't had a World Cup campaign worth talking about but because of who he is, and what he has done in his 17-year career, he is always in the spotlight. Particularly in the last week after he hopped over to Dhaka for two batting sessions with his childhood mentor. While it may be unusual, Shakib has done this before, but it has come back to bite him after Bangladesh's loss to the Netherlands. He has faced up to the media twice in three days, and said on Tuesday he was all about taking action. Now we have to wait for him to do just that.

It is perhaps no coincidence that Mohammad Rizwan's success with the bat aligns with his side's. Over their first two games, in which their keeper converted starts into scores of 68 and 131*, Pakistan put four points on the board. But ever since, what has more generally been a Pakistani batting problem has also been a Rizwan problem. Rizwan, like much of Pakistan's middle order, has got himself in and, before any real damage can be done, got himself out. It has often been down to poor shot selection in the last four games - each of which Pakistan have lost. Dismissals at 49, 46 and 31 against India, Australia and South Africa cost his side of momentum at key junctures. When Rizwan goes deep, Pakistan tend to do well, which will be lost on neither him nor the opposition.

When: Pakistan vs Bangladesh, October 31, 14:00 IST

Where: Eden Gardens, Kolkata

What to expect: A sultry afternoon with a high 60% humidity. Batting first is likely to be the preferred option, with seven of the last eight ODIs at the Eden Gardens won by the teams batting first. The pitch at the Eden Gardens also seemed to go against recent norm on Saturday. It was two-paced and encouraged pacers that pounded the surface: the lanky Paul van Meekeren successfully getting it to do his biding.

What they said:

"There is a lot to play for. As you know, we have to win to be able to qualify for the Champions Trophy. That's an important target I think we can set at this moment and to do that we have to win. We have no other options and that's what we would look to do." - Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh captain.

"We are desperate to bring joy to our nation. We are desperate to make our nation very proud of this cricket team. And we are also realistic in the knowledge that we haven't put all departments of our game together over the last four games but four losses does not define who we are as players, as coaches or a team, So we're determined now to focus on what we can control and that is putting our best on the park in these last three games and then leaving that to fate as - to determine the remainder of the tournament for Pakistan." - Grant Bradburn, Pakistan Head Coach