Asia Cup 2018: Pakistan Probable playing 11 against Bangladesh
Pakistan and Bangladesh face off in what is virtually a semi-final of the Asia Cup 2018 to decide who will face India in the final at Dubai on Friday. Both teams know victory will get them one step closer to winning the tournament and defeat will be the end of the road for them.
Pakistan kickstarted their Super Four campaign with a thrilling victory over Afghanistan thanks largely to a Man of the Match performance by Shoaib Malik. However, in their next game, they were thrashed by India on the back of centuries from openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma.
Ahead of Pakistan's clash against Bangladesh, let us take a look at their probable 11.
Openers
Fakhar Zaman
Fakhar Zaman, known for his aggressive prowess as an opener, has played rather sedate innings so far, registering scores of 24, 0, 0, and 31. His furious style is important to Pakistan's batting lineup, as he is the focal part of the top-3 that has scored the vast majority of Pakistan's runs in series prior to the Asia Cup.
Zaman will look to make his mark on UAE pitches where he has struggled in his career by getting Pakistan off to a good start against Bangladesh.
Shan Masood
Shan Masood has 12 Test caps for Pakistan but is yet to play an ODI despite having a phenomenal List-A average. Averaging nearly 58, Masood will be keen to show the team management that he has what it takes to perform in limited-overs cricket.
Dropping Imam ul-Haq may seem a bit harsh, but having Masood's 81 strike rate in List A cricket paints the picture of an opener who can keep the scoreboard ticking, something Imam ul-Haq has struggled with. All things considered, it might be time to give Masood a debut here.