After a dismal show against the UAE, Bangladesh commences their three-match T20I series today against Pakistan, with a focus on next year鈥檚 World Cup.
The match is scheduled to begin at 9:00pm Bangladesh Standard Time, and T Sports will live telecast the game from the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
After losing the last T20I series to the UAE 2-1, Bangladesh are under a lot of scrutiny as they continue to rebuild.
鈥榃e have had a good training session, and we are familiar with the conditions here,鈥� said Bangladesh captain Liton Das.
聽鈥楾he players are looking forward to the series. Everyone is focused and understands the challenge Pakistan poses, especially in their home conditions.
鈥楾his series is a great opportunity for every player to step up. We are trying a few combinations in the build-up to the T20 World Cup next year, and this tour is a valuable part of that process,鈥� added Liton.
However, Bangladesh will have to cope with the challenge of missing several key players in the series.
Left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman was ruled out due to an injury that he sustained in the IPL, while another pacer, Taskin Ahmed, has been under the rehabilitation process.
Head coach Phil Simmons said that this will create opportunity for others to step up.
聽鈥榊ou miss your senior seamers right now. As we saw how Fizz [Mustafiz] was bowling in the IPL then. We will miss him. But again, it is also a chance for somebody to take his place in this series,鈥� said Simmons in the pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
Simmons also stated that the morale of the team was high despite the recent setbacks.
鈥業 think the morale has been great, and there鈥檚 always a great chance of winning the series,鈥� he said. 鈥楶eople keep saying Pakistan are not playing well. Again, it is about what happens on the day. We have a good chance of winning the series here,鈥� said the former West Indies all-rounder.
There were some contributions from the top order in the UAE series for Bangladesh, but it was kind of a case of miss and hit. Simmons wants to take that as a positive.
鈥極ur bowling is usually our stronger suit in this format. But having two senior bowlers, Taskin and Fizz, out, then it balances off. I think our batting these days is getting stronger and stronger. Especially in the first six overs,鈥� he said.
Pakistan, meanwhile, are also going through a rebuilding process as three of the former captains, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi, were axed from the squad.
Salman Agha will continue to lead the side, having lost a series in New Zealand 4-1 two months ago. They will also play under a new head coach in Mike Hesson.
鈥榃e鈥檝e been really clear about the style of play we want, and then it鈥檚 about picking players that can do that,鈥� said Hesson, who coached New Zealand from 2012 to 2018.
鈥榃e鈥檝e got a good number of T20Is between now and the World Cup. We will develop a depth of squad playing the way we want, and the rankings will come in time because it is about the way we want to play,鈥� he added.
The remaining two matches of the series will also be held in Lahore, on May 30 and June 1, respectively.