The outcome of that clash will decide which of the two sides, Bangladesh or Pakistan, books a place in the final.
Ahead of the all-important contest, Pakistan are taking Bangladesh very seriously. Addressing the media on Tuesday, Pakistan’s pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi said their full focus is now on the Bangladesh game and on finding ways to beat them.
“Our next match is the one we have to think about. At the moment, all our attention is on Bangladesh, how we can defeat them,” Shaheen said in the pre-match press conference.
Bangladesh come into the tournament on the back of three consecutive series wins, one of which was against Pakistan. Afridi hinted at that reminder, adding that his side must be at their best across all departments.
“Bangladesh are a good team. They have been playing very well recently. When you play against such teams, you have to land the first blow; you can’t give them any chances. We need to play good cricket in all three departments—fielding, batting and bowling,” Afridi added.
Bangladesh began their Super Four campaign in style, edging past Sri Lanka by 4 wickets on Saturday. In a tense finish, they chased down Sri Lanka’s 168 with just one ball to spare.
While India are considered significantly stronger on paper, many cricket experts believe Bangladesh have what it takes to topple Pakistan in their last Super Four encounter.
