LAHORE – Pakistan will take on Bangladesh in the opening match of a three-match One-Day International (ODI) series today (Wednesday) at the Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka, marking another chapter in the growing white-ball rivalry between the two Asian sides.The second and third ODIs will be played on March 13 and March 15 at the same venue. All matches are scheduled to begin at 1:15 pm Pakistan Standard Time (PKT), while the toss will take place at 12:45 pm. Cricket fans in Pakistan can watch the matches live on PTV Sports, while live streaming will also be available on digital platforms including Tapmad, Myco and Tamasha.Pakistan’s 15-member squad arrived in Bangladesh in the early hours of Sunday, March 8, and has already completed two training sessions to adapt to the local conditions. Before departing for Dhaka, the team held preparation sessions at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre on March 6 and 7 after assembling on March 5.
The opening ODI is expected to be a special occasion for three young players—Sahibzada Farhan, Maaz Sadaqat and Shamyl Hussain—who are likely to make their ODI debuts, receiving cap numbers 255, 256 and 257 respectively. Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi confirmed that Farhan and Sadaqat will open the batting, while Shamyl Hussain is expected to bat at number three.This series will be the third bilateral white-ball contest between the two teams since May 2025, following T20 International series held in both Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Historically, Pakistan have dominated the ODI rivalry. In 39 matches played between the two sides, Pakistan have won 34, while Bangladesh have secured four victories, with one match ending without a result.Speaking at the pre-series press conference, Shaheen Shah Afridi acknowledged the challenge of playing in Bangladesh but expressed confidence in his team’s preparation.“All teams are strong in their home conditions and Bangladesh have also performed well on their home ground,” Shaheen said. “But as a team we are well prepared. We recently won two ODI series at home against South Africa and Sri Lanka, which gives us confidence.”The Pakistan captain also expressed optimism about the young players making their debut in the first match.“There will be three debutants for us in the first game. Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat will open the batting, while Shamyl Hussain will bat at number three.
I hope they will play their natural game and showcase their skills. We are excited to see them represent Pakistan not only in this series but in the future as well,” he added.Pakistan Squad: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha and Shamyl Hussain.Bangladesh Squad: Mehidy Hasan Miraz (captain), Afif Hossain, Litton Das, Mahidul Islam Bhuiyan, Mustafizur Rahman, Nahid Rana, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Rishad Hossain, Saif Hassan, Shoriful Islam, Soumya Sarkar, Tanvir Islam, Tanzid Hasan, Taskin Ahmed and Tawhid Hridoy.
