Beleagured sides out to end rotten run

Now here's a contest that might have looked quite different before the start of the World Cup. Pakistan may have expected to strongly be in the running for a top-four slot in the second-half of their campaign and Bangladesh would have represented that tricky opposition, playing not too far away from home and backed up by some of the most varied spin bowlers in the game.

But there's something about this fixture that doesn't quite feel the same now. Bangladesh's rise through the ODI ranks - from making the quarters of the 2015 World Cup to going one better in the 2017 Champions Trophy - has been a joy to behold. Despite the odd periods of stasis, the win over India last year and their general dominance at home is proof that this generation of Bangladesh battlers can never be written off. But in five of the six games this World Cup, they simply haven't been at the races, their usual exuberance drained from one loss to the next. Case in point, their dispiriting display against Netherlands at this very venue on Saturday. Faced with a team displaying the zest of the Bangladesh teams of yore, Shakib Al Hasan's side gave the impression that trying to see out 50 overs was the most important part of their day's work.

And therefore, starting afresh would seem like the best way ahead. The captain, their most iconic player, will step down after this tournament is already considering retirement in a couple of years. Wholesale changes are expected in the coaching staff and potentially to the squad too. The BCB president, though, has thrown his weight, at least publicly, behind this struggling contingent in India.

Which, it would appear, gives them something of an edge over their next opponents. Pakistan's campaign has been a litany of incremental issues, from losing star pacer Naseem Shah before the tournament, to the off-coloured displays from Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf, to a questionably timed and worded media release and now to the resignation of chief selector Inzamam ul Haq midway through the campaign. The net effect is destabilisation and demoralisation. Just when the team would have been expected to strut the same stuff that got them to the No.1 rank just before this tournament, they find themselves dragged down both by in-fighting and incompetence.

They did, however, produce one of their better performances in their last outing, which has to count as progress. Their bowling was full of commitment and menace and on another day, they may have landed on the right side of DRS calls and the result. Interestingly, even after four straight losses, they haven't still been eliminated from this competition and until the guillotine falls, they will have a flicker of a flame to fan. If they can now bat those 50 overs, that will be a great place to (re)start.

When: Pakistan vs Bangladesh, October 31, 14:00 IST

Where: Eden Gardens, Kolkata

What to expect:A sultry afternoon with a high 60% humidity. Batting first is likely to be the preferred option, with seven of the last eight ODIs at the Eden Gardens won by the teams batting first. The pitch at the Eden Gardens also seemed to go against recent norm on Saturday. It was two-paced and encouraged pacers that pounded the surface: the lanky Paul van Meekeren successfully getting it to do his biding.

Team Watch:

Pakistan

Pakistan needed a concussion substitute to replace Shadab Khan at the start of South Africa's chase in Chennai. If he's showing symptoms of the same, Usama Mir is likely to hold on to that place.

Tactics & Strategy:

In three matches against Bangladesh, Imam-ul-Haq has scores of 83, 100 and 78. He has, however, had his trouble against fast bowling in this tournament with 73 of the 122 balls he's faced against them being dots. He's also been dismissed by a fast bowler in each of his six visits to the crease and would need to work around that part of his game. Fakhar Zaman is now fit and could be breathing down his neck to take up that spot.

Probable XI: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq/Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan/Usama Mir , Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Haris Rauf

Bangladesh

Bangladesh might look to bring in an extra left-arm spinner, Nasum Ahmed, to target the key middle-order pair of Babar and Rizwan.

Tactics & Strategy:

Shakib Al Hasan has dismissed Rizwan twice in the 49 balls he's bowled at him in ODIs. The veteran Bangladesh captain has had a subdued World Cup after a high-flying one four years ago and would be eager to leave his imprint with Champions Trophy place still up for grabs.

Probable XI: Litton Das, Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan (c), Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan, Mahedi Hasan/Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam

Did you know?

- Bangladesh is the only team with no century partnership in this World Cup

- Pakistan have won 5 of the 6 ODIs they've played at the Eden Gardens. Bangladesh have lost both the ODIs played here.

- Taskin Ahmed has taken 25 wickets from 14 ODI innings this year, at an excellent average of 20.9

What they said:

"There is a lot to play for. As you know, we have to win to be able to qualify for the Champions Trophy. That's an important target I think we can set at this moment and to do that we have to win. We have no other options and that's what we would look to do." - Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh captain.

"We are desperate to bring joy to our nation. We are desperate to make our nation very proud of this cricket team. And we are also realistic in the knowledge that we haven't put all departments of our game together over the last four games but four losses does not define who we are as players, as coaches or a team, So we're determined now to focus on what we can control and that is putting our best on the park in these last three games and then leaving that to fate as - to determine the remainder of the tournament for Pakistan." - Grant Bradburn, Pakistan Head Coach