Pakistan knows that it must avoid a 3-0 series defeat against Bangladesh to maintain its seventh place ranking in the [Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings][1] when the two sides face off in the first of three ODIs, which starts in Mirpur today.
Pakistan currently lies in seventh spot on 95 ratings points and has a chance to reduce England’s six point advantage by one point if it wins the series 3-0. A 2-1 victory would see Azhar Ali’s men remain on 95 points.
Bangladesh knows that it cannot move up the table irrespective of the result, but a 3-0 whitewash in its favour would see it move to 81 points. In that scenario, the West Indies would move level with Pakistan on 92 points, but the men from the Caribbean would hold a slender 0.13 point advantage when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.
A 2-1 win for Bangladesh would see the hosts move up three points to 79. Although Pakistan would retain its seventh place position following that series scoreline, it would drop two points to 93.
Shakib Al Hasan will lead Bangladesh in the first one-dayer in the absence of regular captain Mashrafe Mortaza, who is serving a one-match ban for slow over-rates during the World Cup.
Seasoned all-rounder Shakib saw the upcoming series as Bangladesh's “best chance” to improve his nation's record against the unpredictable Pakistanis.
“I think we should be starting as favourites to win the one-day series,” said Shakib.
For Pakistan, Saeed Ajmal will return to centre stage after almost eight months hoping to strike early form with a remodelled bowling action.
The prolific off-spinner became the most high-profile casualty of the International Cricket Council's crackdown on illegal actions when he was suspended from the game last September.
