Bangladesh renew battle to prove themselves

Bangladesh put up a magnificent account of themselves in the Test series, but are likely to find the going tougher in the one-day series. Much of their resistance in the Tests was attritional: batsmen seeing off sessions, bowlers - especially Mohammad Rafique - sticking to their task with discipline. Their stern defence was at the heart of their struggle there, but what they will need now is aggression and the instinct to attack. That could be a problem.

Javed Omar and Rajin Saleh would, thus, both be much less effective in the one-dayers, and Habibul Bashar's importance will be amplified. Mohammad Ashraful is a combative hustler, but he can sometimes go overboard. Bangladesh failed abjectly in the 2003 World Cup because they all tried to attack from the start of their innings and they threw it away. Their aggression must not be wanton if they are to stretch Pakistan in this series.

Dav Whatmore has done an outstanding job of motivating his team, and if they continue to play with the same intensity, they could yet be a handful. Pakistan, meanwhile, is not quite full-strength. They have been a transitional team for a long time - most spectacularly showed up in their `home' series against Australia last year - and young blood can work both ways. The youngsters in the team could be hungry to prove themselves; or they could be impetuous and impatient. Bangladesh's victory will depend as much on Pakistan as on themselves.

Abdul Razzaq is back for Pakistan, as is Yousuf Youhana, but Younis Khan has, oddly, been relegated to the reserves. Kamran Akmal replaces the banned Rashid Latif, while the youngsters who impressed in the Test series - Yasir Hamid, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Gul and Shabbir Ahmed - have all been included. One curious inclusion, though, is Junaid Zia, a fast bowler who was once accused of chucking and underwent corrective action. He is also the son of Taufeeq Zia, the PCB chief, and his selection - especially as it is against a relatively weak opponent - has raised a few eyebrows in Pakistan.

Bangladesh's bowlers, meanwhile, will feel less inadequate in the one-day series. They have rarely looked like picking up 20 wickets in a Test match, but restrictive bowling in a one-day match is within the bounds of possibility. Khaled Mahmud, whose Test career - barring the last couple of games - has been indistinguished, is actually a decent one-day player. He was Man of the Match in Bangladesh's famous victory over Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup, and he will have more than that to inspire him in the coming games. Bangladesh are fighting for respectability - the hunger is palpable - and their time must surely come.

Probable teams
Pakistan 1 Imran Nazir, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Yasir Hameed, 4 Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), 5 Yousuf Youhana, 6 Abdul Razzaq, 7 Shoaib Malik, 8 Kamran Akmal (wk), 9 Shabbir Ahmed, 10 Umar Gul, 11 Junaid Zia.

Bangladesh 1 Hannan Sarkar, 2 Javed Omar, 3 Habibul Bashar, 4 Mohammad Ashraful, 5 Rajin Saleh, 6 Alok Kapali, 7 Khaled Mashud (wk), 8 Khaled Mahmud (capt), 9 Mohammad Rafique, 10 Mashrafe Mortaza, 11 Tapash Baisya.