PAK vs BAN Dream11 Team Prediction, Fantasy Cricket Tip & Playing 11 Updates for Today's Cricket Match - Feb 7th, 2020

Asian rivals, Pakistan and Bangladesh lock horns in the longest format as both sides eye a win in the first Test of this tour. Although Bangladesh did give a decent account of themselves in the T20Is, Pakistan proved to be too strong with their experience serving them well.

However, the Test format is a different ball game altogether. While the home side are the clear favourites for this game, one cannot take Bangladesh lightly in subcontinent conditions. Both teams have a good balance of youth and experience which should make for a riveting contest in Rawalpindi. Here are a few tips to help you pick your Dream11 team for PAK vs BAN.

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PAK vs BAN Teams:

Pakistan:

Azhar Ali(C), Babar Azam, Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Imam ul Haq, Bilal Asif, Haris Sohail, Shan Masood, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Rizwan, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Yasir Shah.

Bangladesh:

Mominul Haque(C), Tamim Iqbal, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Soumya Sarkar, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mohammad Mithun, Liton Das, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Ebadot Hossain, Abu Jayed, Al-Amin Hossain and Rubel Hossain.

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Playing 11 Updates:

Pakistan:

No changes are expected from the side the Pakistan side that featured in the Test series against Sri Lanka as they eye a win over their Asian rivals. Abid Ali and Shan Masood will open the batting for the home side with the experienced trio of Babar Azam, Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq following them in the middle order.

Haris Sohail should get the nod over Fawad Alam while Mohammad Rizwan dons the gloves for Pakistan. Naseem Shah, who picked a fifer in the second Test against Sri Lanka, should feature alongside Mohammad Abbas and Shaheen Afridi to form the pace attack while Yasir Shah handles the spin duties for the home side.

Possible XI: Masood, Abid, Azhar(C), Azam, Shafiq, Sohail, Rizwan(WK), Abbas, Yasir, Shaheen and Naseem.

Also see – Women’s T20 world cup schedule

Bangladesh:

Bangladesh are set to make a few changes to the side that featured against India last year. Uncapped opener, Saif Hassan is likely to make his international debut as he is slated to open the batting alongside veteran, Tamim Iqbal. The tourists boast of a solid middle-order boasting of Mominul Haque and Mahmudullah Riyad, who have played a combined total of 86 Tests.

Liton Das and Mohammad Mithun should also feature in the middle order with Najmul Hossain Shanto expected to get the nod over Soumya Sarkar. With Mehidy Hasan not picked in the squad, the onus falls upon Nayeem Hasan and Taijul Islam to handle the spin duties. Ebadot Hossain and Abu Jayed are likely to share the new ball with the prospect of picking Rubel as the third pace option also being available.

Possible XI: Saif, Tamim, Mominul(C), Mithun (WK), Mahmudullah, Liton, Sarkar/Shanto, Nayeem, Taijul/Rubel, Abu Jayed and Ebadot.

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Match Details:

Pakistan vs Bangladesh, 1st Test

7th February 2020, 10:30 AM IST

Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

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Pitch Report:

A competitive wicket awaits both sides for this Test with the bowlers expected to get some help. While there is some swing on offer for the pacers, the spinners will come into play as the game progresses. There isn't any threat of rain during the game as batting first would be the ideal option upon winning the toss.

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PAK vs BAN Dream11 Tips:

Wicket-keeper: Liton Das is the preferred wicket-keeper ahead of Mithun and Rizwan owing to his superior form and ability. Although Rizwan's knowledge of the conditions is a plus, Liton Das was one of the standout players in the Bangladesh Premier League and did get a few starts against India in Bangladesh's last Test series as well. If the balance of the side suffices, Rizwan could well be a useful addition.

Batsmen: One wouldn't want to ignore Babar Azam in a fantasy side with the Pakistan T20I captain in sublime form. Azam was one of the standout players against Australia and Sri Lanka with 210 and 262 runs respectively. Along with him, Abid Ali is a fine option as well with the opener winning the man of the series award in Pakistan's last series at home.

While Shan Masood is a fine option as well, Tamim Iqbal is a reliable pick with the southpaw recently recording the highest individual first-class score on Bangladesh soil. If an extra Bangladesh batsman is required, Najmul Hossain Shanto or Mominul Haque could fit the bill.

Allrounders: Mahmudullah Riyad has a lot of experience under his belt with the allrounder averaging over 30 with the bat. Mahmudullah should also have a say with the ball as he is picked along with Yasir Shah. Nayeem Hasan would also make for a good pick with the youngster leading the spin attack for the tourists.

Bowlers: With the home side expected to dictate the pace of the games, as many as three Pakistan bowlers are picked with all of Naseem Shah, Mohammad Abbas and Shaheen Afridi being in good form. Given Bangladesh's trouble against quality swing bowling, one can expect Abbas and Afridi to run riot with the new ball. As for the final pick, Ebadot Hossain should get the nod over Abu Jayed although picking either of them would suffice.

Captain: Babar Azam is a popular option for captaincy given his recent run-in Test match cricket. He has three hundreds in his last four outings and boasts of a hundred in his previous outing in Rawalpindi as well. Along with Azam, the duo of Mohammad Abbas and Shaheen Shah Afridi are dependable picks as well. If one were to pick a Bangladesh player as one of the two multiplier options, Tamim Iqbal would be a viable candidate for the same.

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Dream11 Team Prediction:

Fantasy Suggestion #1:

Liton Das, Mominul Haque, Tamim Iqbal, Babar Azam, Abid Ali, Mahmudullah Riyad, Yasir Shah, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Abu Jayed.

Captain: Babar Azam, Vice-Captain: Shaheen Afridi

Fantasy Suggestion #2:

Liton Das, Babar Azam, Shan Masood, Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah Riyad, Nayeem Hasan, Yasir Shah, Ebadot Hossain, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Captain: Babar Azam, Vice-Captain: Mohammad Abbas