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Basit Ali, a former Pakistan batter and coach, has made a striking prediction regarding the Pakistan Cricket Team, led by Shan Masood, for their upcoming two-Test series against Bangladesh starting August 21 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Ali forecasts a clean sweep for Pakistan, suggesting that the only thing that could potentially disrupt this outcome is the weather.
Only rain can save Bangladesh from Pakistan: Basit Ali
Basit Ali, the former head coach of Pakistan Women’s cricket, has emphasized that the home advantage will significantly benefit the Pakistan team in their upcoming two-Test series against Bangladesh later this month.
He highlighted Pakistan’s past successes against Bangladesh, including wins on their home turf, as evidence of their strong position. With familiar conditions and a history of victories, Ali anticipates a 2-0 series win for Pakistan, expecting them to prevent Bangladesh from securing any victories in this World Test Championship 2024-25 cycle series.
Basit Ali said on his YouTube channel: “Only rain can save Bangladesh; otherwise, there is no comparison. Pakistan will have a big advantage in the home conditions. Pakistan have also beaten Bangladesh in Tests in Bangladesh.”
Ali cautions Jason Gillespie against applying the Australian mindset to the Pakistan team.
Jason Gillespie, the former Australian fast bowler, has recently taken on the role of red-ball head coach for Pakistan. As he prepares to lead the team in the upcoming two-Test series against Bangladesh, a former Pakistan coach has suggested that Gillespie should refrain from enforcing an Australian style of play. Instead, he should concentrate on enhancing the players’ current skills and strengths to optimize their performance in the format.
Basit Ali signed off by saying, “Pakistan have roped in Australia’s Jason Gillespie. It remains to be seen if we will play with an Australian mindset or not. If Gillespie tries to implement the Australian mindset within the Pakistan team, it will be a big mistake.”
PCB cuts ticket prices to increase attendance for the Pakistan-Bangladesh Series.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is adopting a novel approach to boost fan attendance by offering exceptionally low ticket prices for the Pakistan vs. Bangladesh Test series. Tickets are priced as low as 50 PKR (15 rupees in Indian currency) to draw large crowds to the Rawalpindi and Karachi venues.
Premium seating in Rawalpindi is set at 200 PKR, while VIP tickets are priced at 500 PKR on weekdays and 600 PKR on weekends. This strategy aims to combat concerns about sparse crowds at cricket events in Pakistan.
The series is critical for Pakistan, as they seek to gain valuable points in the 2023-2025 World Test Championship cycle, where they currently sit fifth with a 36.66 Points Percentage from two wins and three losses in five matches.
