Tigresses face must-win clash against Pakistan today

As one of the four winless teams so far, Pakistan find themselves in desperate need of a turnaround. Their next opponents, Bangladesh, started on the right note against the Netherlands but were blanked by Australia. This leaves both teams in must-win territory today (Saturday), reports Cricbuzz.
The two teams have not faced each other in this format for nearly three years. The overall record firmly favours Pakistan, with Bangladesh having won only four of their 20 meetings. However, three of those victories have come in the last four encounters, and Bangladesh also won the Global Qualifiers earlier this year.
Bowling remains Bangladesh's stronger suit, even as their batters continue to collapse in clusters. Against Australia, the top order was blown away and reduced to 27/5 before the side limped to 77/8 in 20 overs. Before that, they slipped from 67/0 to 85/4 against the Netherlands, but still managed to seal their first-ever successful chase in a T20 World Cup.
Pakistan were comprehensively beaten by India but pushed South Africa close after allowing them to recover from a middle-order wobble. Poor catching and fielding errors only worsened the situation. Umaid Asif, Pakistan's fast-bowling coach, insisted that the team's focus over the last five months has been on fielding, but also admitted they struggled to cope with pressure. Much rests on the shoulders of skipper Fatima Sana, who currently leads the team in both runs and wickets.
Apart from the low-scoring England-Ireland game, both teams crossed 150 in the previous two matches at the venue. All three matches were won by the chasing side. Conditions are expected to be cloudy but dry, with temperatures in the low 20s Celsius and a gentle breeze.
Fatima Sana was struck on the knee before the India fixture but recovered well enough to play both matches without any obvious discomfort. Her batting position, however, remains a talking point. After scoring a half-century from No. 8 against South Africa, there is debate over whether she should move up the order. Against South Africa, Pakistan brought in Iram Javed and Tuba Hasan in place of Saira Jabeen and Tasmia Rubab, but they may consider playing an extra seamer against Bangladesh. Bangladesh introduced an off-spinner to counter South Africa's three left-handed batters, but that strategy may not be necessary against Pakistan, potentially paving the way for Fariha Trisna's return.
"Look, there's a plan behind it. Whenever she's scored runs, she's done so from No. 7 or No. 8. We tried her at the top of the order, but it didn't work as we had planned. I think she understands her role, and that's why she's executing it well," Pakistan fast-bowling coach Umaid Asif said about Fatima Sana batting at No. 8.
"The way we started the tournament, it was a good win for us and it gave us momentum, but we couldn't carry it forward. The next match is against Pakistan, and we really hope we can bounce back. As a team, we believe we have that ability, so we're looking forward to it," Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty said after the defeat to Australia.