Published: Mar 01, 2014, 01:26 PM (IST)
Edited: Mar 01, 2014, 01:28 PM (IST)
Mar 1, 2014
After plummeting to new lows in the international circuit in the recent past, Bangladesh hope to break their duck by using their best opportunity to win under the sellout home crowd when they face minnows Afghanistan in one of the most awaited fixtures of Asia Cup 2014.
Bangladesh meet the underdogs Afghanistan in the fifth match of Asia Cup at Fatullah, with both teams searching for the first win of the tournament.
Bangladesh, led by a well crafted ton by their skipper Mushfiqur Rahim in their previous encounter against India are a depleted unit after losing key personnel in the form of Shakib Al Hasan, who is still serving a three-match ban, opener Tamim Iqbal and pacer Mashrafe Mortaza.
Afghanistan, on the other hand pride on their immense team spirit, lead by captain Mohammed Nabi would have taken a lot of heart from their tournament opener against Pakistan, which they seized initiative early on, only for Pakistan to wrest it back in the second half of the innings. The mood within the war-torn country is upbeat despite the defeat and the struggling Bangladesh provides them with the perfect opportunity to taste their first Asia Cup victory.
Bangladesh
Mushfiqur Rahim (c & wk), Abdur Razzak, Al-Amin Hossain, Anamul Haque, Arafat Sunny, Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque, Naeem Islam, Nasir Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Shamsur Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan, Sohag Gazi, Ziaur Rahman
Afghanistan
Mohammad Nabi (c), Asghar Stanikzai, Dawlat Zadran, Fazal Niazai, Hamid Hassan, Hamza Hotak, Karim Sadiq, Mirwais Ashraf, Mohammad Shahzad†, Najibullah Zadran, Nawroz Mangal, Noor Ali Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Samiullah Shenwari, Shapoor Zadran
