Big picture: Bangladesh at risk of not making final

On top of overcoming Afghanistan, Bangladesh have to win by a decent margin – most likely by 40 runs if they bat first, or chase a total in fewer overs – to reach the tri-series final. Zimbabwe meanwhile, will watch with bated breath.

Afghanistan crushed Zimbabwe by 158 runs on Monday. Sediqullah Atal struck his third ODI century, while Ibrahim Zadran got out in the 90s for the fourth time in his relatively short career. Later, Rashid Khan, like he often does in the middle overs, ran through Zimbabwe with a four-wicket haul. Fazalhaq Farooqi and AM Ghazanfar also bowled well, which gives the performance an all-round feel to the win.

Bangladesh don’t quite have so much going for them. Zimbabwe crushed them in the first game, when their bowling couldn’t bring them timely breakthroughs after the first three wickets. The batters couldn’t take advantage of a good start either. Taskin Ahmed admitted that the team lacked game awareness, while head coach Phil Simmons has said the team lacked understanding.

These are strong statements from such senior figures within the team, highlighting the level of concern over Bangladesh’s ODI form. A better performance against Afghanistan is certainly hoped for, but it would merely paper over the cracks. Afghanistan, meanwhile, have no such problems. They look like a well-oiled machine.

Form guide

Afghanistan WWWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh LWLLL

In the spotlight: Ibrahim Zadran and Shoriful Islam

Ibrahim Zadran scored 90 against Zimbabwe on Monday, having struck two successive 95s against Bangladesh here last year. Given his form and strokeplay in the previous game, Zadran looks primed for another big score and will be hoping to go one better this time by reaching three figures in Sharjah. Bangladesh must find a way to stop him; otherwise, Afghanistan are likely to post a formidable total, as they so often do when Zadran lays the foundation with his superb batting.

One of those who could stop Zadran is Shoriful Islam, who boasts the best record among Bangladesh bowlers against the Afghanistan opener. Shoriful has removed Zadran six times in 55 balls in all formats, including twice in ODIs. Shoriful is also in decent form, having taken 2 for 47 against Zimbabwe in the last game, while also coming off a seven-wicket haul against Australia in the Mackay Test. Shoriful has matured significantly, often bringing the ball back into the right-hander, which keeps them guessing.

Team news

Unless Afghanistan want to rotate their fast bowlers, there is hardly a reason to change their playing XI.

Afghanistan (probable): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Sediqullah Atal, 4 Rahmat Shah (capt), 5 Hashmatullah Shahidi, 6 Azmatullah Omarzai, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 AM Ghazanfar, 10 Ziaur Rahman, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi

If Mehidy Hasan Miraz does not recover from viral fever, Bangladesh will have a tough time balancing the playing XI.

Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Saif Hassan, 5 Towhid Hridoy (capt), 6 Mosaddek Hossain, 7 Nurul Hasan (wk), 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions: Bat first, bat big

The team winning the toss will most likely want to bat first in Sharjah, where the heat and humidity provide a bit of grip on the pitch during the second half of day-night ODIs.

Stats and trivia: Rashid’s great record against Bangladesh

• Taskin Ahmed took three wickets in the first powerplay for the first time in his career, in Bangladesh’s previous match against Zimbabwe on Saturday
• Ibrahim Zadran’s scores in Sharjah are 60, 22. He has now been dismissed in the nineties four times out of his eleven half-centuries
• Rashid Khan tormented Bangladesh in the bilateral series in Abu Dhabi last year, picking up eleven wickets including a five-wicket haul. He has taken 35 wickets against them at 19.22

Quotes

“We lacked understanding of the situation, and making sure that when we got the three wickets, we hammer down and try and get another one quickly. Although they batted really well. But then when we batted, we just lacked the understanding of the situation and knowing that with a start like that, we just had to make sure we bat for the 50 overs and we’d have won the game.”
Bangladesh coach Phil Simmons on what his team lacked against Zimbabwe