Asia Cup 2023, Match 4 | Bangladesh's Predicted XI vs Pakistan

image-lm1oo57rShakib Al Hasan will be leading the Bangladesh Team (Source: Twitter)

Bangladesh will be against Afghanistan in their second match of the Asia Cup 2023. They had a disappointing start to the tournament as they lost their first game by five wickets against Sri Lanka. The batters had a poor outing as Bangladesh got bundled out for just 164 runs. Najmul Hossain Shanto scored 89 runs &  was the lone warrior from his team.

Bangladesh will be eager to bounce back strongly in this game and they are expected to make a few changes to their playing XI to do that. Afghanistan are a good side, not to be taken lightly and the Bangla tigers need to be on their toes for this game.

They may look to bring in someone like Anamul Haque or Shamim Hossain at the top and one or two other changes are also expected in this game from Bangladesh. Here is Bangladesh's probable playing eleven for this important match. 


1. Anamul Haque

Anamul Haque is expected to replace Mohammad Naim at the top of the order for this game. Naim is a left-hand batter and Bangladesh's top 4 will all be left-handers if he plays this game which is not a wise decision against Mujeeb ur Rahman. Anamul averages 3058 in 41 ODI games and will be a key batter for his side at the top.

2. Tanzid Hasan

The team management were pretty confident about Tanzid Hasan as the youngster did well in the Emerging Asia Cup. He was brought in as Tamim Iqbal's replacement and is expected to play this game despite getting dismissed for a duck in the first game. The left-hand batter will be against Mujeed ur Rahman which is a negative match-up for him and Mujeeb is excellent with the new ball. Tanzid, on the other hand, will be eager to prove himself. 

3. Najmul Hossain Shanto

Najmul Hossain Shanto has been one of the best batter's for Bangladesh in the 50-over format in recent times. He scored a brilliant 89 in the last game against Sri Lanka. Shanto  negated Maheesh Theekshana's new ball spell and then played a good knock. He will be a key batter for his team at number three. 

4. Shakib Al Hasan (Captain)

Skipper Shakib Al Hasan will bat at number four. He is one of the all-time best players in ODI cricket. Shakib will be a crucial batter in the middle order as he can control things with his experience. He was dismissed early in the first game and he will look to lead by an example in this game. He is expected to well with both bat and ball in this match. 

5. Towhid Hridoy

Towhid Hridoy has been very impressive in his short career so far. He averages 44.75 after 9 innings and has three fifties to his name. Hridoy was in good form in the recently concluded Lanka Premier League 2023 and he played a few good shots in the first game against Sri Lanka for his 20 runs. 

6. Mushfiqur Rahim (WK)

Mushfiqur Rahim is currently one of the most experienced players in world cricket & Bangladesh will need him to use all of that in this game. He will be very important against the likes of Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi in the middle overs. Mushfiqur is an excellent player of spin bowling and he can score some useful runs in the middle order.  

7. Mehidy Hasan Miraz

Mehidy Hasan is a utility player for Bangladesh. He is very economical with the ball and is capable with the bat. Mehidy will provide control with the ball in the middle overs and he can score some useful runs down the order. 

8. Taskin Ahmed

Taskin Ahmed picked up one wicket in the last game. He has been the best bowler for Bangladesh in the last few months and has improved quite a lot. His pace has increased and he is a lethal bowler in all phases of the game. Taskin has 13 wickets in 7 ODIs this year at an unbelievable economy of just 3.86. 

9. Hasan Mahmud

Hasan Mahmud may replace Shoriful Islam in this game. Shoriful is a good bowler, especially with the new ball but Hasan Mahmud can bowl in the power play and then in the middle & death overs as well. He has been very effective in his brief career - 20 wickets in 12 innings at an economy of 5.54. 

10. Nasum Ahmed

Bangladesh is expected to bring in Nasum Ahmed instead of Mahedi Hasan because Afghanistan has 5-6 right hand batters in their line-up and Nasum is very effective against the right-handers. He can bowl with the new ball and in the middle overs. He is very economical and can put the batters under pressure in the middle overs. Nasum has 8 wickets to his name in 7 games at a brilliant economy of 3.73. 

11. Mustafizur Rahman 

Mustafizur Rahman will be a key bowler for Bangladesh. He can bowl in any phase of the innings and is known for his variations. The left-arm pacer has been off-color lately and needs to find his form if Bangladesh are to do well in this game and in the tournament. Mustafizur is a death overs specialist and one of the key pacers for his team.


Bangladesh's Probable Playing XI for the match against Afghanistan

Anamul Haque
Tanzid Hasan
Najmul Hossain Shanto
Shakib Al Hasan (C)
Towhid Hridoy
Mushfiqur Rahim (wk)
Mehidy Hasan Miraz
Taskin Ahmed
Hasan Mahmud
Nasum Ahmed
Mustafizur Rahman