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Bangladesh are expected to face a stiffer challenge in their do-or-die Asia Cup match against Afghanistan at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore today.

Batting remained the biggest area of concern -- as evidenced by a lacklustre performance in the first game which saw the Tigers get bundled for a meek 164 against a relatively inexperienced Sri Lankan bowling attack. When it comes to Afghanistan, who possess two world-class spinners in Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, they are always in contention to make even the in-form teams work for their runs.

However, it appears that Fazalhaq Farooqi could pose a greater threat for the Tigers' vulnerable top-order. Farooqi, 22, has been lethal against Bangladesh in recent times, having contributed with eight scalps and two three-wicket hauls in their 2-1 away series win against the Tigers in July this year.

Overall, Farooqi had 14 wickets in six games against Bangladesh, at an economy of 4.46. The left-arm seamer not only provided the early breakthrough but also left the Tigers batters perplexed with his lethal full-pitched deliveries swinging both ways.

Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha is well-aware of the Afghan bowling unit's threat, but is optimistic that the Tigers batters will be able to emerge unscathed in the vital Asia Cup match.

"Afghanistan's bowling attack is one the best in the world and definitely it's a challenge. We have played against them recently and our players had some success. So, it all depends on the day how you perform. We are very much aware of the challenge that we are going to face," Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha told the media yesterday.

As the game will be played in Lahore's Gaddafi stadium, where pacers have historically enjoyed a clear edge over spinners in 64 ODIs -- having registered 519 scalps against 239 -- it would be intriguing to see how the Bangladesh batters negotiate someone like Farooqi.

Given the conditions against Afghanistan in store, it will be fascinating to watch if the Bangladesh team management chooses a different team combination.

"We just arrived here and we haven't seen the wicket yet. Definitely if the condition and pitch here is different, we will definitely think about a different combination," Hathurusingha said.

Bangladesh will need to beat Afghanistan to keep their dreams of qualifying for the Super Four stage alive, but they will also need to rely on the net run-rate to progress.

"Before we think about the final, we need to get to the second round. So, this game is very important because of what happened in the last game against Sri Lanka.

"So, we know this is a must-win game for us and we certainly didn't play to our potential in the last game and we didn't represent ourselves well enough. But we are confident to bring our A game against Afghanistan tomorrow [today]," said the Bangladesh coach.

Bangladesh's all-format tour of Afghanistan in July has been postponed, Bangladesh Cricket Board's chairman of Cricket Operations Jalal Yunus confirmed to Crickbuzz on Saturday.  

The Tigers were scheduled to play two Tests, three ODIs and as many T20Is against the Afghans in the UAE following the completion of the T20 World Cup in June. 

"The away series against Afghanistan will be rescheduled after both boards agreed to play the series at some other point of time," Jalal told Cricbuzz on Saturday.
Bangladesh's two-match Test series at home against Zimbabwe was also rescheduled earlier this year as BCB opted to play five T20Is against The Chevrons in April to ramp up preparations for the T20 World Cup. 

Najmul Hossain Shanto's troops have a busy schedule after the T20 World Cup as they will tour Pakistan for two Tests after which the Tigers will travel across the border to India where they will play as many Tests and three T20Is. 

After hosting South Africa for a two-match Test series in November-December, the Tigers will cap off a busy 2024 with an all-format tour of the West Indies which will feature two Tests, three ODIs and as many ODIs.

A placard reading "We love you Miraz" held by a Bangladesh fan in the stands of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium yesterday reflected the trust the all-rounder has gained in recent times.

Never shy of taking on responsibilities, Mehedi Hasan Miraz has been skipper Shakib Al Hasan's go-to man as of late.

The 25-year-old once again showed his class in the Tigers' all-important World Cup 2023 opener against Afghanistan in Dharamshala yesterday, producing an all-round performance to guide Bangladesh to a convincing six-wicket win.

Miraz did the job with the ball first -- the off-spinner ended with figures of three for 25 in nine overs, including three maidens. The all-rounder then came in at number three for the first time in ODIs and went on to play a momentum-swinging 57-run knock off 73 deliveries.

It was Miraz's 97-run third-wicket stand with Najmul Hossain Shanto that saw Bangladesh recover from a precarious two for 27 in chase of a paltry 157-run target.

Miraz has often shied away from expressing his own philosophy, remaining in the shadow of the seniors despite having the potential to become the next big thing in Bangladesh cricket.

But it was a different Miraz attending the post-match presser yesterday. Bold, poised, and confident, it was as if Miraz's improvement as a genuine all-rounder had transformed his personality as well. An ever-smiling Miraz is now more confident and specific with his replies.

"I have worked really hard on my batting. I have thought long and hard about it, how I can improve my batting. I prepared myself really well. The team also gave me a lot of opportunities up the order. It is a big deal for me," said Miraz when asked about his mental preparedness in order to bat at any position asked.

In the past 12 months, Miraz batted at various positions -- from coming in at number nine to scoring a century while opening the innings against the same opposition in the last Asia Cup in September.

"Every position poses a different situation. I don't think too much whenever presented with an opportunity. If you think simply, it is better to bat anywhere above number eight. The team gets help if I play well. I face some problems but I don't focus on them. I have to perform well for the team, that's the most important thing," he added.

Miraz, however, admitted that he was nervous initially with the ball in hand after he gave away nine in his first over. But the off-spinner managed to make a comeback, pairing with Shakib to build pressure on the Afghans with some tight bowling.

"When the pacers weren't doing well at the top, it put the spinners under pressure. Shakib bhai got two wickets which boosted the team. We started bowling well from both ends. We didn't expect such a wicket in Dharamhsala, but we got the ball to turn in our first two or three overs. The ball stopped a bit. We shared this information with everyone, about how to bowl in this wicket. We had great communication throughout the game," said Miraz.

The all-rounder has always been handy with the ball in any format, but his recent transformation as a batter unsurprisingly brought the topic of him being the next Shakib in the making for Bangladesh. But for now, Miraz kept quiet on the matter, perhaps not thinking too much about it as well and focusing only on doing his job.