Bangladesh and Pakistan eye consolation win in final group match

In what is now a matter of pride for both teams, Bangladesh will face Pakistan in the third and final match of the Champions Trophy ‍‍`A‍‍` Group at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. 

The match will take place on Thursday, February 27, at 3 PM Bangladesh time.

Both teams have already been knocked out of semifinal contention after losing their first two matches. 

This upcoming game serves as a formality, with no impact on their progression in the tournament.

Bangladesh was eliminated from the tournament after losing to India and New Zealand by 6 and 5 wickets, respectively. 

Pakistan, the defending champions of the previous edition, also failed to make it through after losing to New Zealand by 60 runs and India by 6 wickets.

Even though both teams are out of the race, Bangladesh’s captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, is determined to finish strong against Pakistan. 

"We always want to win matches, and we try to give our 100% for that," Shanto said. He also stressed the importance of executing their plans correctly: "This is just another match, and we are playing for the country, which is always a matter of pride for us."

Shanto is hopeful that his team will put on a great performance in the last match. 

"I hope the boys will do something special for the fans and the team. I hope it will be a good match," he added.

On the other side, Pakistan’s head coach, Aqib Javed, echoed Shanto’s determination, saying that a win over Bangladesh in this final match could help lift the spirits of his players. 

Pakistan has had a tough run in the tournament, failing to achieve success despite hosting the event for the first time in 30 years.

"There are no excuses. There should never be any excuse in life. But I can assure you that the players are more disappointed than the fans, and they want to perform well in the last match," said Aqib.

He continued, "The players are not happy with the team‍‍`s current situation. No one is happy after losing, but everyone is trying hard to win. We recently won series against Australia and South Africa. Every match is a matter of pride, so we want to finish with a win."

Looking at the historical context, Bangladesh and Pakistan have faced each other 39 times in One-Day Internationals. 

Pakistan has dominated with 34 wins, while Bangladesh has only won 5 of those encounters. 

The two teams last met in the 2023 ODI World Cup, where Bangladesh triumphed by 7 wickets. 

In the past five years, Bangladesh and Pakistan have only played four times, with Bangladesh winning two of those matches and Pakistan winning three.

Now, as they prepare for the final match in Rawalpindi, both teams are focused on ending the tournament on a high note. 

The match is scheduled to begin on Thursday, February 27, at 3 PM Bangladesh time.