Shakib brought up his 50 in 33 balls. -Photo by AP

Pakistan, after beating New Zealand in the tightest match of the World T20 so far, take on Bangladesh in the last round match of Group D at the Pallekele Cricket Stadium in Kandy, Sri Lanka.

The equation is simple: Pakistan need to win and will also take a washout to advance to the Super Eights round. Bangladesh, on the other hand need to beat Pakistan by 36 or more runs or, if they bat second, achieve the target in 9.64 runs per over to go through.

New Zealand have already qualified for the round of eight on the basis of their superior net run-rate despite losing their second match to Pakistan.

Stick around as Dawn.com brings all the action, analysis and multimedia from the match in Pallekele.

Readers are invited to be share their input and analysis, set the field, live commentate, share pictures, predict the outcome of the match. Have your say as Pakistan takes on New Zealand in what promises to be a cracking showdown.

PACE BOWLING REMAINS A WORRY

IN PICTURES: PAKISTAN v BANGLADESH AS IT HAPPENS

22:05 PST

BOUNDARY- Akmal ends it with a thump straight down the ground, an exclamation mark, perhaps, to what Imran Nazir did earlier. Not much between the sides, brilliant batting  and equally terrible bowling from both. Bangladesh’s effort with the ball was a mirror-image of Pakistan’s show earlier on. Nazir was selective and the best thing about his 36-ball 72 was the fact he was willing to pull out of shots when he found himself out of position. Pakistan join Australia, India and South Africa in Colombo which has already seen two wash-outs in the group stage.

22:02 PST

Prakash Wakankar, BBC Test Match Special says, “Pakistan have always been entertainers, there’s just sometimes been a question about their temperament.” Vic Marks, adds, “You wouldn’t have picked out Imran Nazir as one of the most dangerous batsmen before this tournament.”

21:55 PST

BOUNDARY- Four and a six. Jamshed on the attack. The batsman lucky to have survived after fielder caught the ball and back-pedalled into the boundary. Akmal takes another four, 17 from that Mahmudullah over.

21:54 PST

BOUNDARY- Jamshed cuts a real loose one from Abul Hasan for four before hammering him over square leg for six. Akmal joins the fun with two fours of his own. Hasan’s nightmare over ends, 19 from it. PAK 150/2 in 16.

21:44 PST

WICKET- Hafeez follows Nazir. Can Bangladesh change the script? Kamran Akmal in.

21:40 PST

WICKET- Bangladesh finally get their man. Nazir tries to swat anther short one but connects with the toe of the bat and is caught at long off. Abul Hasan takes the wicket.

21:38 PST

BOUNDARY- Nazir fetches Abul Hasan’s slower ball from outside off to cow corner for four.

21:36 PST

Pakistan continue to attack and for a change it is Nazir who looks like the more stable out of the two batsmen. 118 in 13 overs. 58 off 42.

21:33 PST

BOUNDARY- Hafeez gets the strike, flicks and pulls Razzak for two consecutive fours.

21:28 PST

BOUNDARY- Change in bowling but Nazir continues. Mahmudullah cut powerfully for four. Nazir 61 off 29, his fifty is the fastest in World T20.

21:24 PST

BOUNDARY- SIX! Shakib drops it half-way, Nazir says thank you and hits him over leg.

21:19 PST

BOUNDARY- Hasan tries another short one and Nazir is up to the task, four runs.

21:18 PST

Abul Hasan into the attack and straight away gets some bounce.

21:14 PST

BOUNDARY- Nazir comes down the wicket and flays Razzaq through the covers. Bangladesh fans thinkits over but even at 77/0 in 8, there is a long way to go.

21:10 PST

APPEAL- Shakib should have had a wicket here. He starts with one that hit Nazir PLUMB in front.

21:08 PST

BOUNDARY- Razzaq is short and wide and Nazir makes full use. 64/0 in 6.

21:06 PST

Abdur Razzaq comes in. Ideally, should have started.

21:03 PST

BOUNDARY- First Hafeez and then Nazir. Mashrafe being taken to task -4, 4, 6. Is Bangladesh leaving its spinners for too late.  Pak 58/0 in 5.

20:59 PST

BOUNDARY- Nazir continues as the fourth ball is smashed for a six over midwicket. 20 runs off that Shafiul over.

20:57 PST

BOUNDARY- Three fours in a row! Nazir swats Shafiul like Djokovic before gloving one for four after an attempted pull. The next one he connects with the bat, speeds to the square-leg boundary.

20:55 PST

APPEAL- Hafeez survives an LBW appeal off the bowling of Shafiul. Just clipping leg.

20:54 PST

Vic Marks from BBC Test Match Special says, “A bit of good fortune for Pakistan so far, with a dropped catch and a mis-hit for four. Their first target must be that 140.”

20:50 PST

BOUNDARY- Hafeez plays on the up and times Mashrafe Mortaza through the covers. Beautiful.

20:49 PST

BOUNDARY- Nazir dances down the wicket, Islam rolls his fingers over but still gets shoveled on the leg side.

20:45 PST

DROPPED- Imran Nazir dropped at mid-on. Shafiul Islam should have had his first wicket of the match, the fielder Abul Hasan does a ‘Tanvir’.

20:41 PST

BOUNDARY- Pakistan start their innings with two boundaries. Hafeez survives a dropped catch off the first delivery that goes through the hands of first-slip before caressing one past point.

20:29 PST (First innings: Bangladesh 175/6 in 20 overs)

WICKET- Arafat picks up a wicket off the last ball of the innings. Pakistan will need 176 to win. Inspiration knock by Shakib. Was it something Saqlain said? Bangladesh clearly looked in the zone, played like they had nothing to lose and may just end up winning here. Who will play a Shakib-like hand for Pakistan? Afridi, Akmal or Imran Nazir? Former teammate Azhar Mahmood believes it could be one of these batsmen, here’s what he had to say.

20:28 PST

BOUNDARY- Hossain into the attack, picks up a four.

20:25 PST

WICKET- Shakib goes but after playing a blinder, 84 from 54. He smacked 11 fours and two sixes.

20:24 PST

Arafat bowling the last over. Afridi the best of the lot so far with figures of 4-20-1.

20:22 PST

BOUNDARY- Hossain picks Ajmal over the covers. Pakistan’s ‘potent’ bowling attack looking very ordinary.

20:21 PST

Pakistani fans must be wondering what Saqlain Mushtaq told the Bangladesh batsmen and perhaps also hoping for some rain.

20:17 PST

BOUNDARY- Two more fours from Shakib, picks Gul up off his pads before jumping down the wicket and blazing the next one through the off side. 156/4 in 18.

20:13 PST

BOUNDARY- Shakib scoops Gul over short fine, he’s in top form!

20:08 PST

DROPPED- Kamran Akmal drops new man Nasir Hossain off Afridi. That ball turned sharply off a length took the outside edge and found the benevolent Mr Akmal.

20:06 PST

WICKET- Mahmudullah tries to go the Shakib way and plays it straight into the hands of Umar Akmal at long on. Afridi picks up his first.

20:04 PST

BOUNDARY- Shakib is undeterred, drives Arafat’s slower ball towards long off for four.

20:03 PST

WICKET- Arafat picks up Mushfiq as Pakistan finally hold on to a catch.

19:56 PST

BOUNDARY- Afridi, back into the attack after dropping a difficult chance, gets smacked for four by Mushfiq.

19:53 PST

BOUNDARY- Shakib gets a four over the keeper, top-edged before smacking another short ball by Arafat over deep mid-wicket for six! Shakib now 53 from 34, Bangladesh 118/2 in 13.

19:52 PST

DROPPED- Tanvir drops possibly the easiest catch that he may have been under. Yasir Arafat the bowler, Mushfiq the batsman.

19:47 PST

Pakistan’s pace bowling reserves are too thin and from the current lot it seems all are of the ‘spray it all around’ type. A constrictor required. Not in Sri Lanka currently but part of the Pakistan squad: Junaid Khan, Anwar Ali, Aizaz Cheema and Wahab Riaz. Who would you go with? Read here > Pace bowling remains a worry for Pakistan

19:44 PST

BOUNDARY- Gul strays on the off and its short too. Shakib cuts it over point.

19:43 PST

BOUNDARY- SIX! Shakib pulls Gul over the rope.

19:39 PST

Ajmal introduced now. The Bangladesh batsmen can afford to just work him around after having achieved a run rate of 8.6.

19:32 PST

BOUNDARY- Hafeez tries from the other end but the result is the same. Mushfiq smacks him for six. Hafeez making the same mistake as Misbah-ul-Haq and keeping Saeed Ajmal for another time it seems. Ideally, Ajmal should be used as an attacking option when the batsman are going after the bowlers, confused Pakistan camp once again.

19:27 PST

Captain Mushfiqur Rahim walks in. Shahid Afridi replaces Hafeez. The confusion between the batsmen continues, though, as Pakistan fumble two possible run out opportunities. Sanjay Manjrekar says, “at the moment the network between the two batsmen is erratic.”

19:25 PST

WICKET- Lucky break for Pakistan. Confusion between the two batsman and the non-striker Tamim slips as he attempts to hit the breaks. Hafeez takes off the bails to run the batsman out by miles.

19:23 PST

BOUNDARY- Shakib taking Tanvir apart. The ‘Kukri’ has been all over the wicket. His pitch map will be interesting. Three fours in a row. BD 61/1.

19:18 PST

BOUNDARY- Shakib on the attack, picks Hafeez for two fours. The Pakistan captain has been way too short so far.

19:15 PST

Should Pakistan have gone in with the same squad? Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Sami and Raza Hasan on the bench. Sarfraz Nawaz wanted a different line up. Read here > Sarfraz wants some changes in playing XI

19:12 PST

WICKET- Ashraful goes. A needless shot by him, one that we have seen before from the man. Tanvir picks up the first wicket. 34/1 in 3.2. Shakib Al Hasan in at number, great decision as he is probably Bangladesh’s best batsman.

19:11 PST

BOUNDARY- Gul tries to make it up with another short-pitched ball and Tamim smacks over mid-on. 17 runs off that Gul over.

19:10 PST

BOUNDARY- Another hit-me ball by Gul, short outside off and straying in line, flayed over point by Tamim.

19:07 PST

BOUNDARY- Two consecutive boundaries off Gul, first a straightish pull by Tamim Iqbal and the other a gift, 5 wides.

19:02 PST

BOUNDARY- Sohail Tanvir begins in typical fashion, a no-ball. The free hit is scooped by Ashraful over where short fine leg. Hafeez takes himself off to bring Umar Gul into the attack.

18:58 PST

BOUNDARY- Good decision by Bangladesh to open with Mohammad Ashraful as he slog sweeps Mohammad Hafeez for four over square-leg. Ashraful has a lot to prove after a string of failures but Bangladesh have persisted with him, which eventually, it seems, will bring about some positive results.

18:56 PST

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim won the toss and has opted to bat. They have brought in medium pacer Abul Hasan for left-arm spinner Elias Sunny from the team which lost the opening match to New Zealand by 59 runs on Friday.

Pakistan are unchanged from the side which beat New Zealand by 13 runs on Sunday.

Squads

Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez (capt), Imran Nazir, Nasir Jamshed, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanveer, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Yasir Arafat.

Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (capt), Mohammad Mahmudullah, Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Ashraful, Shakib Al Hasan, Nasir Hossain, Ziaur Rahman, Abdur Razzak, Mashrafe Mortaza, Shafiul Islam, Abul Hasan.
Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG) and Steve Davis (AUS)
Tv umpire: Rod Ticker (AUS)
Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)

Commented By Iqbal Hadi Zaidi