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Asian Games (Men) 2026, BAN vs PAK 1st Semi-Final Match Preview

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Big picture: Bangladesh, Pakistan look for some action
Pakistan will go through to the Asian Games gold-medal match by virtue of their higher seeding if, like the entire quarter-finals round, rain keeps the players off the field in Nisshin on Thursday. Bangladesh, Pakistan’s semi-final opponents, will therefore be looking out of the window in the lead up to the game, and what they see should make them, and everyone else, happy – the forecast for match day is “very warm with plenty of sunshine”.
Assuming nothing changes, Litton Das would hope his players bring out their recent bout of consistency they have acquired. He will bank on a power-packed top order, particularly Tanzid Hasan, who has recently added a Test century in Australia to his CV. Towhid Hridoy has form on his side too, having struck an unbeaten 350 in South Africa in an ‘A’ four-day match.
Pakistan, meanwhile, will bank on their captain Sahibzada Farhan for firepower and stability at the top, before the likes of Hasan Nawaz and Usman Khan take over later in the innings. Not to forget Maaz Sadaqat – two centuries in the recent CPL – and Saim Ayub, as well as Arafat Minhas, who can all make a dent with the bat.

Bangladesh’s bowling looks a little more experienced than Pakistan’s, which could come in handy in unfamiliar conditions.
The spinners, more likely to be handy on these pitches, are Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mahedi Hasan and Mosaddek Hossain, all pedigreed in the international game, while Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam and Hasan Mahmud are all star performers.
In comparison, Pakistan appear a bit thin, but Sufyan Moqim comes into the Asian Games after 12 wickets – including four-fors in the last two games – in five innings at the CPL and Abrar Ahmed can be a game-changer when at his best.

Form guide

Bangladesh WWLLL (last five completed games, most recent first)
Pakistan WLWLW

In the spotlight: Mustafizur Rahman and Sahibzada Farhan

If Mustafizur Rahman puts together two good spells, particularly one at the death, Bangladesh usually stand a good chance of winning. Mustafizur is the veteran in the bowling line-up, and has remained as solid as he always was in his white-ball role. He is the original innovator in the attack, while also being the most consistent performer over the years, and his battle with Farhan, Ayub and Sadaqat could well dictate the course of the game.

Sahibzada Farhan giving Pakistan a rollicking start, which he has done often in the recent past, is their Plan A. Farhan has dominated both the spinners and fast bowlers Bangladesh have thrown at him and, in four T20Is against the opposition, has scores of 74 and 63 (apart from two failures). He is also Pakistan’s top run-getter in T20Is this year, so the onus will be on him to provide the base for the exciting middle-order to build on.

Team news: Pick according to the conditions

Both teams are expected to field longish batting line-ups and lots of spin options.

Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Saif Hassan, 3 Litton Das (capt, wk), 4 Parvez Hossain Emon, 5 Towhid Hridoy, 6 Yasir Ali, 7 Mahedi Hasan/Mosaddek Hossain, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Al Islam, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pakistan (probable): 1 Sahibzada Farhan (capt), 2 Maaz Sadaqat, 3 Saim Ayub, 4 Usman Khan (wk), 5 Hasan Nawaz, 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Arafat Minhas, 8 Abrar Ahmed, 9 Ali Raza, 10 Mohammad Wasim, 11 Sufyan Moqim

Pitch and conditions: Will the rain relent in Nisshin?

The good thing is that the rain should stay away. If that doesn’t happen, with the poor drainage at the venue, we might lose a sixth match in a row without the toss. If the game happens, whether in its entirety or in truncated form, run-scoring will be tough, given the evidence so far.

Mohammad Isam is Cricinfo’s Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84



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