Series Preview: Will Bangladesh reign supreme again or can Pakistan bounce back?

Pakistan have a busy two months on the road. Their first stop will be in Bangladesh for a series featuring four T-20s and one ODI. Bangladesh will be looking to continue their winning momentum, leading up to the World Twenty-20. Both teams have some key players that will play a big role in their success. They also know the importance of this series and how things have unfolded in their last few clashes.



 



Key Players:



Much of Pakistan's success will depend on their top-order firing. The batters need to build a solid foundation for the team to carry on with. To do so, openers Nahida Khan and Muneeba Ali will play a big part, as will one-down Javeria Khan, who will also be captaining Pakistan for the first time on this tour. These batters will need to step up and perform consistently as Pakistan will be without their regular skipper and star batter Bismah Maroof, who was ruled out of the tour following a surgery. Experienced campaigners Sana Mir and Nida Dar will play a vital role in the tournament, too.



For Bangladesh, their all-rounder Rumana Ahmed will play an important role in the side, with both bat and ball. Supporting her would be in-form Shamima Sultana, Fahima Khatun and Ayesha Rahman. Their captain Salma Khatun will also be imperative to the side's success. Having led her team to the Asia Cup title then to winning the ICC Women's World Twenty-20 qualifiers, S. Khatun will look to build on her teams winning ways and continue the momentum heading into the World Twenty-20.



 



Importance:



This series is extremely important for both Pakistan and Bangladesh. Firstly, it is the perfect opportunity for both sides to get some practice, especially in the Twenty-20 format before heading into the World Twenty-20. The two teams get an opportunity to gauge where their team stands and what needs to be fine-tuned to make the squad stronger.



Secondly, for Pakistan, this tour is a build-up not just to the World Twenty-20, but to their upcoming series with Australia too. The solitary ODI they will play during this series will help them prepare for those against Australia. Those ODIs will be part of the ICC Women's Championship with points up for grabs for the winner of each match. Pakistan, who sat fourth on the table until recently, will be eager to get more points to move up the ladder again. They were leap-frogged by West Indies after they managed to defeat South Africa.



For Bangladesh, winning this series will be a verification of the fact that their Asia Cup win was not just kismet. It will prove to the team and the world that Bangladesh is a team on the rise and deserves due recognition.



 



Recent Result:



The last time these two teams met, it was in the virtual Semi-Final of the Asia Cup; the winner would progress to the Final. Bangladesh caused a massive upset when they defeated Pakistan comfortably. Helpless in front of Bangladesh's bowling, Pakistan could only manage 95-5 from their allotted 20 overs. Their opponents then chased down the total in the 18th over, with 13 balls and seven wickets to spare.