How should Tigers line up against Pakistan today?

As Bangladesh prepare to take on co-hosts Pakistan in their first Asia Cup Super Four game at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore today, one of the major talking points ahead of this crucial encounter has been regarding the Tigers' line-up.  

Pakistan have already announced their playing XI for the game. And the Tigers might get some hints from it as to how the Babar Azam-led side is planning to approach this game and utilise it to form their own game plan. 

The only change Pakistan made in their eleven from the one that played against Nepal, and India is that they have replaced spin-bowling all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz with a bowling all-rounder in Faheem Ashraf, who, by category, is a right-arm medium pacer. 

Nawaz, a left-arm spinner, has been a key player for the Pakistan side, often coming down the order and playing some explosive innings aside from doing his regular bid with the ball in hand.   

It is clear that Pakistan only dropped Nawaz for this game only from a strategic vantage point. Having Nawaz would surely have given Pakistan some extra batting firepower down the order -- something which Faheem can also do but not as good as Nawaz. 

It is quite evident that Pakistan have bolstered their already world-class pace attack with yet another pace-bowling option to edge out the Tigers on a historically batting-friendly Gaddafi Stadium. 

That brings up the question: How should Bangladesh line up against one of the tournament's favourites today?

Unfortunately, Bangladesh do not have a pace-bowling all-rounder in their ranks. Add to this the fact that in-form batter Najmul Hossain Shanto, who scored 89 and 104 in the group stage of the Asia Cup, will no longer be a part of the tournament due to a hamstring injury -- and the Tigers could find themselves in a bit of a pickle. 

Good thing for the Tigers is that Liton Das, initially ruled out of the tournament due to viral fever, has recovered and is with the squad now. So, it is fair to assume that Liton would start and probably open the innings alongside Mohammad Naim. 

Towhid Hridoy, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Mehedi Hasan Miraz are expected to follow in the line-up -- probably not in this exact sequence. 

The question remains should the Tigers opt for an extra batter, like they did against Afghanistan by playing both Shamim Hossain and Afif Hossain, or should one of these two be dropped for an extra bowling option? 

With no bowling all-rounder available, left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed looks to be the best option should the Tigers opt for an extra bowler. In the pace department, Mustafizur Rahman and Tanzim Hasan Sakib are available. 

However, given Pakistan have as many as five right-handed batters in their middle-order -- Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, and Shadab Khan -- giving a nod to left-arm spinner Nasum seems to be the best bet for Bangladesh.

Mustafizur would have been a good option as well. But once a 'mystery', the pacer has long lost his touch and remains a mere shadow of his past. 

It would definitely be a tough, and crucial call for Bangladesh to make when deciding the playing XI today. With the opposition armed with a deadly pace trio of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf, the temptation to be guarded and go with an extra batter will probably be higher. 

However, sidestepping the regulation in the game against Afghanistan -- the gambit of playing Mehedi Hasan Miraz as an opener -- is what brought success to the Tigers. Maybe being bold and including Nasum to bolster the bowling attack is what could see Shakib and his troops get the edge today.