Bangladesh To Tour Pakistan: Crucial for the Test Championship

If everything goes well, Bangladesh is set to visit Pakistan in August 2024 to play two Test matches in Rawalpindi and Karachi. The fans of both teams are waiting to enjoy the thriller in the oldest format of cricket, which is also considered the format with the most gravity.

Bangladesh and Pakistan have yet to perform impressively in the current World Test Championship (WTC). Therefore, they will consider this series a platform to fight back and boost optimism. Thus, this series is essential for both teams to restore confidence and not just to improve their position in the WTC ranking.

Bangladesh’s Tour in Brief

1st Test

  • Venue: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium
  • Date: 21 August, 2024

2nd Test

  • Venue: Karachi National Stadium
  • Date: 30 August, 2024

Bangladesh vs Pakistan: What Record Book Says?

According to the record, Pakistan is well ahead of Bangladesh with impressive performances across all departments. Bangladesh and Pakistan have appeared in 13 tests so far, and Pakistan has won 12 matches, and only one match resulted in a draw.

Bangladesh’s only success against Pakistan in a Test Match was in 2015 at Khulna, when they saved the match from another loss. However, in 2003, they were about to win their first-ever game at Multan but couldn’t because of the incredible innings of Inzamam-Ul-Haq.

Though none of them are in the current squad, whenever Bangladesh has their tour in Pakistan, this match is reminded of this, as Bangladesh has never gone that close in any test match with Pakistan other than this.

Recent Forms of Bangladesh, Pakistan!

Bangladesh’s recent form in Tests is not appreciateable since they conceded two consecutive losses with Sri Lanka at home, one in 192 runs and another in 328 runs, clearly showing that they couldn’t compete even in their home condition! Besides, they are also not good with other teams in this format.

The captaincy has been changed several times, from Mominul Haque to Shakib Al Hasan to Nazmul Hossain Shanto. Liton Das also led the team on some occasions as well. But, the performance in this format is not promising under any leader. Despite playing Test Cricket for over 13 years, Bangladesh hasn’t shown any significant progress except for some sporadic good performances. However, their win against New Zealand by 150 runs last year can inspire them.

On the other hand, Pakistan is yet to find their rhythm this year in test cricket, as they lost the Test Series against Australia earlier. They do have 7 test matches left and are looking forward to securing maximum wins to perform better in the current Test Championship. Besides, they are ahead of Bangladesh in this home series, considering the difference in strength in this format.

Key Players to Watch for Bangladesh

Bangladesh has specialized Test Players like M. Joy, Zakir Hossain, and Mominul Haque, who are currently only playing Test Cricket. Yet, regular success in this format is still a far cry for this side. Mustafizur Rahman has shown no interest in test cricket, Taskin is following him, so, Taijul Islam, and Shariful Islam in the bowling department must perform well to secure something from this series to cheer.

Bangladesh must remember that the pitches in Rawalpindi and Karachi are pace-bowling friendly, with massive runs. Therefore, the pace bowlers must maintain proper line and length, while the spinners may not find much to do with the pitch.

Players Expected to be Star for Pakistan

Pakistan’s strength is their mighty pace bowling attack! This time, they will have Shaheen Shah Afridi joining Mohammad Amir, who is believed to form a lethal pace bowling attack, especially in this pace bowling-friendly wicket of Rawalpindi and Karachi.

Babar Azam and Mohamad Rizwan are supposed to take charge of the batting department. Babar Azam was severely criticized for his slow batting in the shorter version of cricket. Still, with an average of 45.90 and 9 centuries, he is undoubtedly the perfect batter for Pakistan in the Test format.

What the Cricket Fans Expect From This Series

Unlike the ODI and T20 versions, the global tournament in Test format takes more than a year to complete, and the teams, even with their glorious past, struggle to highlight themselves! Though Bangladesh is not performing well in this format, some young stars like M. Joy and Z. Hossain can perform and search for a platform to flourish.

Quality batters like Liton Das, who has three centuries and 16 fifties, and experienced Mushfiqur Rahim, who has ten centuries and 27 fifties, also possess the ability to save the team from batting collapse. Mominul Haque, the former captain, also has a good record of 12 centuries and 18 fifties, and Bangladesh will expect him to flourish this time. From the fans’ point of view, they are surely not expecting anything fancy, a win will be a luxury on Pakistan’s soil!

Pakistan may not take Bangladesh lightly, but considering the importance of this match in WTC and the unpredictable nature of Pakistan Cricket, another disaster is not that unlikely! After their poor performance in the just-finished T20 World Cup, they are under severe pressure from their supporters and media, and that’s another reason they badly need to fight back with a dominating performance. In such a situation, this home series against Bangladesh is the best opportunity for them to restore their confidence.

Some Final Thoughts

Pakistan is one of the teams that deserve to win the WTC, and therefore, they will try to forget the worst part of 2024 and make a fresh start with this series. For an extended period, Pakistan couldn’t play any home matches because of security issues, which has ended as many countries now have tours there. Conversely, Bangladesh is searching for its feet in this format even after playing in it for 13 years.

At least one historic win between two matches may boost their confidence for future matches. As a cricket-loving nation, Pakistan has a massive fan at home who will be there to support them from the field. Bangladesh, also having a good number of crazy cricket fans, is supposed to get the support at least through social media. Thus, a fascinating fight is anticipated, and the slower version will unleash its beauty with severe thrills.  

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