It will be a virtual semi-final when Pakistan takes on Bangladesh in the last Super Four game of the Asia Cup 2018 on Wednesday, September 26.

Live updates:

The match will be telecasted live on the PTV Sports and Ten Sports in Pakistan while in Bangladesh TV rights are held by Gazi TV and Channel 9. The online streaming can be watched on Hotstar.com starting 4 PM PST onwards.

India has already qualified to the Final of the Asia Cup, even though their last Super Four game against Afghanistan ended in a tie on Tuesday.

Both Bangladesh and Pakistan have won one match and lost one match during the Super Four round, hence the winner of this match will qualify for the Final on September 28, 2018, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Fakhar and Amir's form under the scanner

Pakistan's opening batsman Fakhar Zaman has been completely out of form in this tournament so far. The left-handed player had scored a lot of runs before this tournament but has failed to replicate his success in the ongoing Asia Cup.

ESPN Cricinfo suggests that Pakistan may consider playing Shan Masood instead of Zaman in this crucial match. Along with this, Mohammad Amir has not picked up a wicket in almost five games now, so it is likely that he will make way for Usman Khan Shinwari.

Openings woes for Bangladesh

Soumya Sarkar and Imrul Kayes were flown in from Bangladesh in the middle of the tournament, after an injury to Tamim Iqbal and the repeated failures by the Bangladeshi openers.

Kayes did play the last game and scored a vital half-century, but Sarkar sat on the bench. Sarkar might get a go for this game in place of Nazmul Hossain Shanto at the top of the order, as rest of the line-up is excepted to the same.

The two teams have faced each other 35 times in the ODI format, with Pakistan winning 31 out of them while Bangladesh has managed to win only four matches.

The history favours Pakistan, but Bangladesh can pack a punch on the slow and dry surface in Abu Dhabi. With the temperatures crossing 40 degrees, the pitch might get slower than expected with the innings progressing.

India is right and top of the points table with 5 points after the memorable tie against Afghanistan yesterday. Whoever wins this match will play India in the finals of the Asia Cup on September 28, 2018, in Dubai. As far as the run rate is concerned, Pakistan is slightly ahead if in case the match gets abandoned.
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