The tourists, soundly thrashed by 137 runs in a one-sided opening encounter of the five-match limited-overs series in Multan on Tuesday, probably have one last chance to redeem themselves in what has been, so far, a disappointing trip result-wise with the 3-0 drubbing in the Tests.
Bangladesh, still yet searching for their first win since that stunning 62-run victory over Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup, have now lost their last eleven games in succession after sharing points with the West Indies in the rain-hit Group “B” match at Benoni during the World Cup 2003 in southern Africa.
Faisalabad, meanwhile, staged the last of nine One-day Internationals played at this venue way back in March 1996 when Sri Lanka, on their way to winning the World Cup, outclassed England in the quarterfinal.
Pakistan have emerged victorious in three of the five games they have played since the Iqbal Stadium hosted its first one-day match in 1984-85. Pakistan defeated South Africa in their last appearance on the ground by six wickets in the triangular tournament won by Australia in 1994-95.
Pakistan are likely to bank on the same playing XI which figured in the Multan tie. That would mean another opportunity for medium-pacer Junaid Zia who bowled poorly in the first match, returning unflattering figures of none for 35 in seven overs.
Inzamam-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, was in no mood on Thursday to give the beleaguered Bangladeshis a chance to pull one back. “Our aim in this one-day series is clear. We hope to win this 5-0 since Pakistan have to be prepared for the tougher matches against South Africa,” Inzamam said after the final practice session.
“I must admit that Pakistan took them (Bangladesh) rather lightly in the Tests. But I can assure we will give nothing away in the remaining matches.”
The visitors may axe off-spinning all-rounder Sanwar Hossain to bolster their bowling attack which composed of just two specialist bowlers in Multan where Pakistan piled up a massive 323 for three after winning the toss and batting first.
Hasibul Hossain, the medium-pacer who played in Bangladesh’s inaugural Test at Dhaka three years ago, will at least strengthened the bowling. But it was Bangladesh’s top-order batting that fell apart like a pack of cards.
Mohammad Ashraful, for one, had a most dreadful time in Multan on the day he celebrated his 19th birthday, trapped lbw for a first-ball duck by Umar Gul.
Habibul Bashar, arguably Bangladesh’s best batsman in the Test series with 379 runs, strangely enough, has dismal statistics in one-day cricket, averaging a disappointing 18.22 in 36 visits to the crease. On Tuesday, he was run out after scratching around for six runs in 21 balls.
Bangladesh coach Dav Whatmore conceded at the post-match press conference in Multan that his side was utterly outplayed in every department of the game the entire game plan went out of the window.
On Thursday, the Australian echoed those words but prayed for a change of luck in Friday’s fixture on a pitch completely devoid of grass. Compared to Multan, Karachi and Lahore, the stadium here has small outfield with a boundary distance of 75 yards from the pitch which augurs well for a high-scoring encounter.
The organizers are hoping for a bumper crowd at this 20,000-capacity ground, but with the weather currently under a hot spell, and given Bangladesh’s lack of fight in Multan, the public here may prefer to watch the match in the comfort of their homes rather than turn in large numbers despite the fact that the city famous around the world for its textile industry is hosting a one-dayer after a lapse of more than seven years.
The district administration, however, has declared a closed holiday on the match day in the hope of a sizable crowd.
Teams (from):
PAKISTAN: Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Yasir Hameed, Yousuf Youhana, Younis Khan, Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal (wicketkeeper), Shabbir Ahmed, Umar Gul, Junaid Zia, Imran Nazir, Salman Butt, Danish Kaneria.
BANGLADESH: Khaled Mahmud (captain), Habibul Bashar, Mohammad Ashraful, Rajin Saleh, Alok Kapali, Sanwar Hossain, Tushar Imran, Mushfiqur Rahman, Khaled Mashud (wicketkeeper), Tapash Baisya, Mohammad Rafique, Mashrafe bin Mortaza, Hannan Sarkar, Hasibul Hossain, Alamgir Kabir.
Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and Russell Tiffin (Zimbabwe).
TV umpire: Asad Rauf (Pakistan).
Match referee: Mike Procter (South Africa).