Pakistan national cricket team is now touring Bangladesh for a three-match ODI series. They are in deep trouble as the Men in Green were completely defeated in their first ODI against Bangla Tigers on Wednesday. Shaheen Shah Afridi is leading a new, inexperienced team, which was bowled out for just 114 runs in the first game.
In reply, the home team easily achieved the target with 8 wickets remaining. The Green team is struggling with form in every format of the game. It was a shocking result for the team, as they lost to Bangladesh for the first time in three years. The next ODI is very important to stay in the series.
Will Pakistan play the next match with Zimbabwe?
Now, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is in talks with Zimbabwe Cricket to find a window for the series later this year, or it could be rescheduled for next year. Zimbabwe were scheduled to travel to Pakistan in April, but according to Geo News, the window was not available due to the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Chevron has been in good form, especially in the shorter formats.
However, Pakistan need to get their confidence back from this Bangladesh series, as it is the beginning of their preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup. However this is not the entire Men in Green squad that will be heading to the World Cup next year. There will be some senior cricketers including Babar Azam, who can be included in the World Cup.
pakistan cricket under shallow water
In recent years, the Men in Green have not been performing as expected. The last ODI tournament he played was the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Although they played on home soil, they failed to qualify and finished bottom of the table in a group containing India, New Zealand and Bangladesh.
Both the teams faced each other in 2024, where Pakistan won the three-match ODI series 2-1 in Zimbabwe. In T20Is, both the teams met last year and since then, they have not played each other in any white-ball tournament. It is expected that this will be an ODI series keeping in mind the ODI World Cup to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia next year.
Bangladesh eyes on winning the series
For now, the Green team needs to focus on the Bangladesh series as the second ODI is scheduled to take place tomorrow, and if the visiting team loses this match, it will cause huge chaos inside their country as former cricketers will attack them as the last time the overseas team lost the series was against Bangladesh in 2015.
The Men in Green have also not performed as expected in major ODI tournaments, especially in the World Cup, as the team last qualified for the ODI World Cup semi-finals in 2011, which they lost against India.
Mohsin Naqvi and the PCB need to find a way to get the Men in Green back on the right track and win some tournaments and series away from home.
Also read: “Score zero in 8 matches…”: Suryakumar Yadav gives personal message to Abhishek Sharma