Bangladesh will be desperately seeking a win over Pakistan in their final World Cup encounter at Lord’s.
Bangladesh head coach Steve Rhodes played down the hype around the last World Cup match for Mashrafe Mortaza.
Rhodes said, "I often use the word ‘Warrior’, but he goes to war for the team and people respect that, understand that, and they love him because of that.”
It will be the last World Cup game for Mashrafe and the skipper and the Tigers will have to move on if he is not available for the proposed Sri Lanka tour in August.
"The players in the dressing room do love Mash. He has said it's his last World Cup and it'll be emotional for him
"Hopefully, the boys will give him the right sort of respect playing his last game in the World Cup but then most importantly we'll concentrate on the match."
Bangladesh are already out of the race for a spot in the semifinals after the defeat to India. A win against Pakistan will make the Tigers the top among those who have failed to make it to the top four.
Having been defeated by Bangladesh in their past four meetings, Pakistan are now placed fifth on the table this World Cup, behind New Zealand who occupy the fourth and final knockout berth.
The 1992 champions face a near impossible task to qualify for the semifinals: to bat first against Bangladesh and win by a margin of at least 316 runs to jump ahead of the Kiwis on net run rate.
Rhodes, however, is not ready to call it a match of formalities as Pakistan are also seeking at least a win to avenge the end of their unbeaten run by Bangladesh in the 1999 World Cup and a happy ending this time.
The two teams have not seen much of each other of late. They have only played four times since the last World Cup and Bangladesh have won all of those matches, including their last meeting in the 2018 Asia Cup. Overall, however, Pakistan have won 31 of the 36 meetings between them, with their only other loss to Bangladesh coming way back in 1999.