DHAKA, March 15, 2026 (BSS) - Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi won the 
toss and sent Bangladesh into bat first in the third and final ODI at Sher-e-
Bangla National Cricket Stadium today.

The outcome of the match will decide the course of the three-match series 
after both teams won one match each.

Bangladesh crushed Pakistan in the first game by eight wickets and the 
visitors took a sweet revenge by handing the Tigers a 128-run route on DLS 
method in the rain-hit second game.

The hosts remained unchanged from the second ODI while Pakistan made three 
changes from the winning playing XI, including two debutants for the crucial 
game.

Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz, however, looked happy to get the 
chance to bat despite losing the toss. 

"I'm happy because the wicket looks good. I think we are confident. In the 
last two matches we have bowled well, but still I'm confident that if we get 
the score, definitely it's a very good score on this wicket," he told the 
broadcaster after the toss. 

"I think we always talk about the best batting unit. You have to take 
responsibility in the top order and the middle-order batsmen. So if we get 
the runs, definitely our team will be better. I think everyone has to take 
responsibility."

"We should have partnerships with the top order. If you get partnerships, 
definitely we will be in a good position in the match. I think 260 is a very 
good score in these conditions because we have a very good bowling attack - 
three fast bowlers and two spinners - and definitely we can defend that."

Shaheen Afridi's decision to bowl first appeared to be forced by the number 
of injuries in the squad. 

"We [will] bowl first. Actually, also as a pre-game thing in the team, two 
players were injured, Shamyl Hussain is injured, Hussain Talat is injured, 
Wasim Jr is resting, so he's gone again. So that's why we just decided to 
like, you know, go for a team and hopefully we bowl well and take a couple of 
wickets," Shaheen said.

"The condition looks good right now and later on it will rain again and 
hopefully we take our wicket and restrict them. So the two debutants playing 
they also are very good batters - Ghazi Gori debut and also Saad Masood 
debut. So I hope for their performance and support them."

Line Ups:

Bangladesh: Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Liton 
Das(w), Towhid Hridoy, Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz(c), Rishad Hossain, 
Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman and Nahid Rana

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Maaz Sadaqat, Ghazi Ghori, Mohammad Rizwan(w), 
Salman Agha, Abdul Samad, Faheem Ashraf, Saad Masood, Shaheen Afridi(c), 
Haris Rauf and Abrar Ahmed.