Green Shirts set for first T20 showdown against Bangladesh today

(Web Desk): Pakistan’s young brigade is all set to take on the Bengal Tigers as the first T20 International of the series is scheduled to be played today in Dhaka.

According to details, Pakistan holds a dominant T20 record against Bangladesh, winning 19 out of 22 encounters, while Bangladesh has secured victory in just three matches. In their last bilateral series, Pakistan whitewashed the Bangladeshi side in Lahore, and a similar performance is expected in the return series.

On home ground, Pakistan's batters adopted an aggressive approach against Bangladesh’s bowlers, while the bowlers and fielders also delivered strong performances. Head coach Mike Hesson and captain Salman Ali Agha are aiming to follow modern T20 trends, focusing particularly on scoring heavily in the first six overs.

Pakistan has the right players for this strategy, with aggressive batters like Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris, and Salman Ali Agha. Hard-hitting Fakhar Zaman is also in the squad, while much is expected from Hasan Nawaz. Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan are likely to open the innings. Pakistan will miss the services of injured Shadab Khan, with Khushdil Shah and Faheem Ashraf taking on all-rounder responsibilities.

Talat Hussain and Salman Mirza may replace Shadab Khan and Hasan Ali in the playing XI. Five squad members are well-versed with local conditions, having played in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) over the past two seasons. Notably, Khushdil has played 12 BPL matches in Mirpur — the most among Pakistani players — while Haris, Faheem, Abrar Ahmed, and Abbas Afridi have also featured in the league.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, recently defeated Sri Lanka in a home T20 series, boosting their morale. They are expected to field the same winning combination against Pakistan. Opener Mohammad Naim stated that playing in home conditions gives them a psychological edge over the Green Shirts.

Rain interruptions are possible during the series. At the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium, the average BPL night match score is 150, while international T20 matches usually see slower pitches, with average scores around 125.

In the previous series, only two Pakistani batters — Sahibzada Farhan and Mohammad Haris — faced more than 40 balls in an innings. Haris, who scored a century against Bangladesh, is the first non-opening Pakistani batter to do so in T20Is.

Bangladesh’s spinner Mehidy Hasan has taken 30 wickets during powerplays in T20Is at an average of 15.90 since 2021 — the highest by any spinner in that period.

Out of Bangladesh's three T20I wins against Pakistan, two have come at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium. This will be only the third time T20 International cricket is being played in Bangladesh in July, with previous instances in 2015 and 2023.

The series trophy was unveiled at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium on Saturday, with Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and Bangladesh skipper Litton Das posing with it. The Green Shirts arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday, rested on Thursday, trained on Friday, and opted for rest again the day before the match.