Online Desk: Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan won the toss and had no hesitation in deciding to bat first against Afghanistan in an Asia Cup contest they must win to stay alive.  The all-rounder mentioned the sporting nature of the Gaddafi wicket in Lahore and the hot and humid conditions for his decision.

Shakib mentioned the team made three changes from the five-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka, with Shamim Hossain, Hasan Mahmud and Afif Hossain coming in.

Bangladesh will need a win to stay alive in the competition. However, just a win might not be enough for them to progress to the Super 4 stage, given they have already suffered a five-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka in the opening Group B contest on Wednesday.

Bangladesh could actually confirm their Super 4 berth today if they beat the Afghans by such a big margin that it helps take their net run-rate, currently -0.951, past Sri Lanka’s net run-rate of 0.951. But the Tigers will realistically be looking to get a win under their belt first and then depend on the outcome of the Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan match on Tuesday.

Squads: –

Bangladesh (Playing XI): Mohammad Naim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan(c), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud

Afghanistan (Playing XI): Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman