Pakistan hope to consolidate idate position both as team andd hosts
The match will further reinforce Pakistan’s status of being able to hold Test matches as cricket returned to the country after a long period of a decade with a series against Sri Lanka two months ago
Pakistan will look to consolidate their position not only in the Test Championships but also as hosts when they meet Bangladesh in the first Test on Friday, hopes skipper Azhar Ali.
The match will further reinforce their status of being able to hold Test matches as cricket returned to the country after a long period of a decade with a series against Sri Lanka two months ago.
Pakistan were forced to play their home series in the UAE for almost a decade since the international cricket was suspended in the country following a terrorist attack on Sri Lanka cricket team in 2009.
However, Pakistan hosted a few limited overs series with teams like Zimbabwe and West Indies agreeing to play in the country despite security concerns.
Bangladesh, initially reluctant to make a lengthy stay in Pakistan, only agreed to tour in three phases, having played Twenty20s last month.
After this Test they head home, before returning to play a one-day international (April 3) and second Test (April 5-9) -- both in Karachi.
Azhar said the split series will give Pakistan further opportunity to establish itself as a Test host nation.
“Credit to the two Boards for making this series possible,” Azhar told 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 currently fourth in the championship, which features the top nine Test nations and is currently led by world number one India ( 360 points) followed by Australia (296) and England (146).
The top two teams will play the final in June 2021.
“Hosting matches in Pakistan will send a strong message that we are a safe country,” said Azhar.
Bangladesh will be without Shakib Al Hasan, who is banned for one year in a spot-fixing case, and Mushfiqur Rahim, who opted not to tour Pakistan over security fears.
Bangladesh skipper Mominul Haque admitted Rahim will be missed.
“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,” said Haque, who lost his first series as skipper in India 2-0 last year.
Also hurting Bangladesh will be the fact they have not won any of 10 Tests against Pakistan (nine defeats with one draw), and lost all five Tests they played last year.
Seasoned opener Tamim Iqbal -- fresh from a triple hundred in a domestic match in Bangladesh -- along with Haque and Mahmudullah will be Bangladesh’s main hopes against a strong Pakistan bowling attack which includes sensational 16-year-old pacer Naseem Shah.
Pakistan opener Abid Ali, meanwhile, will target another hundred in this Test to equal Indian maestro Mohammad Azharuddin’s record of three consecutive centuries in his first three Tests.
Azharuddin achieved the feat against England in 1984-85 in his first three Tests.
Meanwhiel, after much uncertainty, Bangladesh are finally playing a Test match in Pakistan, their first in over 16 years, and only their fifth ever in the country.
To further illustrate how far back that was, Bangladesh were led by Khaled Mahmud and Pakistan’s middle order was comprised of golden boys Inzamam-ul-haq, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf. As you might have imagined, a lot has changed in both sides since.
These are still early days in the return of Test cricket to Pakistan, but the country’s new brigade has already shown the kind of dominance it can exert at home, as seen in their 263-run win over Sri Lanka in December last year.
Congruent to their history, Pakistan’s bowling attack possesses a lot of strength. Abbas brings fearsome pace, Shaheen is a menacing prospect with his height, bounce and lateral movement, while the 16-year-old Shah has made the world sit up and take note of his prodigious talents.
Bangladesh are coming off a winless 2019, but their bid to rectify that has hardly been made easier by the absence of their two stalwarts, Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim.