Bangladesh ODI skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza became the first bowler from the country to take 250 ODI wickets when he bowled Hashmatullah Shahidi in the dying stages of Sunday's Asia Cup match against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi.

Last time the Tigers played Pakistan in ODIs, they inflicted a 3-0 series whitewash to their Asian rivals. However, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza reiterated that Pakistan, who won the Champions Trophy last year are a much-improved side from when they last faced Bangladesh.

The Tigers’ ace-paceman Mustafizur Rahman was having a difficult time bowling with a cramp which he suffered due to the extreme conditions in UAE. The Tigers played three matches in the space of four days in those conditions and while Afghanistan did the same, they are more conditioned to playing in such heat, having played their home matches at the UAE in the past.

Stockily built Mohammad Shahzad knocked a brilliant hundred as spirited Afghanistan pulled off a last over tie against India in the Asia Cup Super Four match in Dubai on Tuesday.

The heat is a dominant topic here in the UAE, and while it is true that the mercury is the same for all four remaining teams in the ongoing Asia Cup, Bangladesh would be justified in saying that they are the most disadvantaged.

The Asia Cup so far has been an exercise in making lemonade out of lemons for Bangladesh. From the first match, during which opener Tamim Iqbal was felled by a fractured left hand because of which he eventually had to leave the tournament, Bangladesh have had to deal with the heat in the UAE, which the country's cricketers have not experienced since the 1995 Asia Cup, and tough scheduling.

When Bangladesh meet Pakistan in the last Asia Cup Super Four game, it will be a virtual semifinal between two teams who have had similar paths to this point. Both have won two matches out of four so far.

Bangladesh ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan's availability is in doubt ahead of today's virtual semifinal against Pakistan in the ongoing Asia Cup.

Will Bangladesh national cricket team seal their entry to yet another dream final of Asia Cup? Sports reporters Ariful Islam Roney and Masud Parvez talk to The Daily Star’s Ekush Tapader on Bangladesh team’s possibility to play the Asia Cup 2018 final and different other aspects. Watch the Star Live video to know more.

Changes may be in the offing for Bangladesh when they take on Pakistan on Wednesday in what will be a virtual Asia Cup semifinal at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. They won their last match against Afghanistan in thrilling fashion Sunday when Mustafizur Rahman conceded just four runs when Afghanistan needed eight to win in the last over.

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza reached a new milestone during the match against Afghanistan on September 23, becoming the first bowler from Bangladesh to reach 250 ODI wickets. The cricketer thanked the Tigers’ supporters via a Facebook post, saying that it was the love of the supporters that kept him going during harsh times.

On Monday, there was a media day at the ICC headquarters, not far from where India will play Afghanistan in the Asia Cup today, where bigwigs like ICC CEO Dave Richardson, general manager of the Anti-Corruption Unit Alex Marshall and general manager of cricket Geoff Allardice spoke to the media about the state of cricket in 2018.

Imrul Kayes had just 48 hours after completing a four-day game in Khulna for the High Performance squad to pack his bags and board a flight to join the Tigers in the United Arab Emirates for a do or die encounter against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup, where he was expected to handle one of the best spin bowlers in the world in Rashid Khan.

Mustafizur Rahman is not the most talkative with microphones placed in front of him and cameras trained on him. However, when he performs like he did on Sunday, stopping Afghanistan dead in their tracks by conceding just four when they needed eight to win off the last over of their Asia Cup match, he has to reluctantly make an appearance.

What could be the beginning of a turnaround for Bangladesh in the ongoing Asia Cup may seem on the surface to have been caused by the inspired inclusion of Imrul Kayes in the team for Sunday's match against Afghanistan a mere 17 hours after he was flown into the United Arab Emirates as emergency reinforcement.

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan went for a scan on his left little finger in Dubai yesterday. Team manager Khaled Mahmud said that it was not a cause for alarm yet, ahead of tomorrow's virtual semifinal against Pakistan, and they will know more when they get the results today.

Before yesterday, Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan had played four ODIs and three T20s against Bangladesh. Handling the world-class leg-spinner has always been a bothersome prospect for the Tigers. In each of the four previous ODIs that Rashid played against Bangladesh, he had managed more than one wicket and did not give away over 40 runs in any of those games.

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza becomes the first Tiger to bag 250 wickets after bagging two wickets yesterday.

Sri Lanka's sacked skipper Angelo Mathews accused the country's cricket board Monday of blaming him solely for the island's humiliating exit from the Asia Cup.

Fizz’s fantastic final over yesterday, saw Bangladesh successfully defend eight runs in the last over in a tight match where Afghans looked like they were in the driving seat with wickets in hand.