PAK vs BAN, 1st Test: Pakistan target consolidation in first Bangladesh Test

Rawalpindi, Feb 6 (AFP): Skipper Azhar Ali hopes Pakistan will reinforce their qualifications– both as a team and as hosts– when they deal with a diminished Bangladesh side in the first Test in Rawalpindi beginning Friday.

The match will even more Pakistan’s efforts to host Test cricket, which went back to the nation simply 2 months earlier after a 10- year space with a series versus Sri Lanka.

Global cricket was suspended in Pakistan after a militant attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009, requiring them to play home fixtures in the United Arab Emirates.

With enhanced security, Pakistan hosted limited-overs internationals in between 2015-19 prior to security self-confidence enhanced.

Bangladesh, at first hesitant to make a prolonged stay in Pakistan, just accepted trip in 3 stages, having actually played Twenty20s last month.

After this Test they head home, prior to going back to play a One Day International (April 3) and second Test (April 5-9)– both in Karachi.

Azhar stated the split series will provide Pakistan more chance to develop itself as a Test host country.

“Credit to the two Boards for making this series possible,” Azhar informed press reporters.

“Would have been good if the series was not split but we are focused as this is a World Test Championship match.”

Pakistan are presently 4th in the championship, which features the leading 9 Test countries and is presently led by world top India (360 points) followed by Australia (296) and England (146).

The leading 2 teams will play the final in June 2021.

“Hosting matches in Pakistan will send a strong message that we are a safe country,” stated Azhar.

Bangladesh will lack Shakib Al Hasan, who is prohibited for one year in a spot-fixing case, and Mushfiqur Rahim, who chose not to trip Pakistan over security worries.

Bangladesh skipper Mominul Haque confessed Rahim will be missed out on.

“It’s difficult to play without your best players, but it gives an opportunity to younger players and we look forward to playing good cricket,” stated Haque, who lost his first series as skipper in India 2-0 in 2015.

Likewise injuring Bangladesh will be the truth they have not won any of 10 Tests versus Pakistan (9 beats with one draw), and lost all 5 Tests they played in 2015.

Likewise Check Out: Jofra Archer eliminated of IPL 2020 due to tension fracture

Experienced opener Tamim Iqbal– fresh from a triple hundred in a domestic match in Bangladesh– together with Haque and Mahmudullah will be Bangladesh’s main hopes versus a strong Pakistan bowling attack that includes marvelous 16- year-old pacer Naseem Shah.

Pakistan opener Abid Ali, on the other hand, will target another hundred in this Test to equal Indian genius Mohammad Azharuddin’s record of 3 successive centuries in his first 3 Tests.

Azharuddin attained the accomplishment versus England in 1984-85 in his first 3 Tests.

Test Teams

Pakistan: Azhar Ali (captain), Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Bilal Asif, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Yasir Shah

Bangladesh: Mominul Haque (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mahmudullah, Mohammad Mithun, Liton Das, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Ebadot Hossain, Abu Jayed, Al-Amin Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Soumya Sarkar.

Umpires: Nigel Llong (ENG) and Chris Gaffney (NZL) TELEVISION umpire: Marais Erasmus (RSA) Match referee: Richie Richardson (WIS).

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