The second Test match of the ongoing series between the Pakistan national cricket team and the Bangladesh national cricket team will begin tomorrow, Saturday, in Sylhet, with Pakistan aiming to bounce back after losing the opening Test.
Bangladesh currently lead the two-match series 1-0 following their impressive victory in the first Test. The upcoming clash is being seen as a crucial encounter for Pakistan, as the visitors look to restore their reputation and credibility in international cricket after a disappointing performance in the series opener.
Pakistan’s struggles in Test cricket continue under Shan Masood’s leadership, with the national side losing 11 of 15 matches since he took over as captain. Shan Masood assumed the Test captaincy after Babar Azam stepped down following the 2023 World Cup, but results have failed to improve under the new leadership.
Pakistan’s recent defeat against the Bangladesh national cricket team marked the team’s third consecutive loss against Bangladesh, further adding to the growing criticism surrounding the side’s poor performances in the longest format.
Bangladesh face injury concerns ahead of 2nd test
Ahead of the match, the Bangladesh team has faced some injury concerns. According to Bangladeshi media reports, opening batsmen Shadman Islam and Mahmudul Hasan Joy are currently unfit after suffering injuries while fielding during the first Test in Dhaka.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board has called up Zakir Hasan as a possible replacement, and he has already trained with the squad in Sylhet. The BCB is expected to assess the fitness of both injured players before the start of the match.
Bangladesh defeated Pakistan by 104 runs in the first Test played in Dhaka and currently leads the two-match series 1-0. Meanwhile, the Pakistan team has been fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during the first Test. In addition, the International Cricket Council deducted eight points from Pakistan in the ICC World Test Championship standings.
According to the ICC, Pakistan were eight overs short of the required target, resulting in a one-point deduction for each over. Before the second Test, members of the Pakistan squad were also seen shopping in Bangladesh ahead of the match in Sylhet.
International Cricket Council (ICC) has imposed a heavy penalty on the Pakistan national cricket team for maintaining a slow over rate during the opening Test against the Bangladesh national cricket team at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
The ICC fined Pakistan 40 per cent of the match fee and deducted eight crucial World Test Championship (WTC) points after the side was found eight overs short of the required target, even after accounting for allowable time adjustments.
Match referee Jeff Crowe decided against charges laid by on-field umpires Richard Kettleborough and Kumar Dharmasena, along with third umpire Allahuddien Palekar and fourth umpire Gazi Sohel.
Read more: Pakistan suffer heavy test setback under Shan Masood’s captaincy
