April 13, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 6, 1429

LAHORE, April 12: Charged by a 2-0 lead in the series, Pakistan will be looking to seal the five-match series against a feeble-looking Bangladesh in the third One-day International at the Gaddafi Stadium here on Sunday.

After clinching the first game by 152 runs in Lahore before doubling the lead with a seven-wicket win in Faisalabad, the home team look set to claim the series on Sunday.

“Our top priority is to win the series and for this we have to play with our full potential on Sunday,” Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik said.

Though Pakistan look like the favourites, the way Bangladesh improved their performance in Faisalabad after a heavy defeat in the series opener, some competitive cricket can be expected in the third match.

“We are learning every day and will give our best in Lahore to remain in contention,” Bangladesh skipper Mohammad Ashraful said.

“Our performance in Faisalabad was an improved one and we are making our best efforts to earn some good results despite the fact that we are facing a strong team,” he said.

In Faisalabad, Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal and middle-order batsman Mahmudullah struck a well-deserved half-centuries. The tourists could give some tough moments to the hosts after they received a revised victory target of 158 in 25 overs under the Duckworth/ Lewis method. However, Salman Butt’s blistering knock shattered all Bangladesh dreams.

While the visitors are likely to play with one more bowler, who can be right-arm medium-fast Shahadat Hossain, Pakistan are expected to induct Bazid Khan in place of prolific Younis Khan, and medium-fast Sohail Khan, giving rest to the lanky pacer Umar Gul.

Umar, facing a chronic back problem could not bowl full quota of his overs in the first two matches.

Though all-rounder Fawad Alam is also in the run, if Shoaib Malik’s proposal to have one more bowler in the rank got weight, Bazid’s recent performance in domestic cricket makes him a strong candidate to replace Younis.

Younis has opted to opt out of the remaining three ODIs owing to family assignments. Younis could not excel in the first two matches, scoring 1 and 13 respectively.

The track looks batsmen-friendly as bowlers are likely to face some testing times once again.

One hopes that the PCB would have overcome all the problems related to floodlights system, and that there will be no repetition on Sunday of what happened in the first match on at the same venue last Tuesday.

Teams:

PAKISTAN (likely): Shoaib Malik (captain), Salman Butt, Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal (wicket-keeper), Sohail Tanvir, Rao Iftikhar, Sohail Khan, Bazid Khan.

BANGLADESH (from): Mohammad Ashraful (captain), Mashrafe Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal, Aftab Ahmed, Shahriar Nafees, Saqibul Hasan, Raqibul Hasan, Dhiman Ghosh (wicket-keeper), Abdur Razzak, Shahadat Hossain, Mahmudullah, Farhad Reza, Syed Rasel.—Agencies