Tigers face Afghanistan in crucial super-four match today

Bangladesh will face Afghanistan in the crucial match of the 14th Asia Cup at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi today (Sunday).

The match will begin at 5:30 pm [Bangladesh time].

Both Bangladesh and Afghanistan lost their first game of the Super-Four stage against India by seven wickets and by three wickets against Pakistan respectively.

But, Afghanistan are ahead of bottom-run Bangladesh in the points table by virtue of better run rate.

Moreover, ICC's new full-member Afghans are morally strong, having a 136-run winning experience against Bangladesh in the group stage.

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza wants a fight back, though, witnessed worried-face at the dressing-room with early loss of wickets in the last two matches.

"We have had collapses in two successive matches. We managed to recover in the first game but faced world-class bowlers against Afghanistan and India. We have to ensure more partnerships in the first 30- over so that we don't go out of the contest," Mashrafe told reporters on Saturday.

However, Bangladesh started the campaign with a 137-run win over Sri Lanka before losing to Afghanistan in the Group stage, reports UNB.

Then the Tigers conceded defeat to India in their first match of the Super-Four stage.

Squads: Bangladesh: Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (captain), Shakib Al Hasan,Mohammad Mithun, Liton Kumar Das, Mushfiqur Rahim, Ariful Haque, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mosaddek Hossain, Nazmul Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nazmul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Abu Hider, Mominul Haque, Soumya Sarkar and Imrul Kayes.

Afghanistan: Asghar Afghan (captain), Aftab Alam, Gulbadin Naib, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Ihsanullah, Javed Ahmadi, Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Shahzad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Munir Ahmad, Najibullah Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Rashid Khan, Samiullah Shenwari, Sayed Shirzad and Wafadar Momand.