With wins in their previous games both Bangladesh and Pakistan must be fairly confident going into the 8th Match of the Asia Cup 2016, on Wednesday (March 2).

Bangladesh though will miss the services of the in-form Mustafizur Rahman in the crucial tie. The left-arm seamer sustained a side strain and Tamim Iqbal has been named as the replacement. While that will bolster their batting-unit, Mustafizur was one of the leading bowlers in the tournament. His absence will severely dent the hosts, particularly on pitches such as the ones found in Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur for this tournament.

Pakistan, after a lacklustre show against India, bounced back against UAE. Although there were some concerns still regarding their top-order. Waqar Younis, Pakistan head coach, had conceded that it was a spot of bother. But the good form of Mohammad Amir has meant that the bowling unit looks far more potent. The pace-group consisting of Amir, Mohammad Irfan and Mohammad Sami are likely to feature once again against Bangladesh.

However, Pakistan's spin attack doesn't quite possess the same teeth. Shahid Afridi looked far from threatening in the two games, and it is his form that will concern Pakistan a bit. Left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz failed to make an impact on debut and could well be replaced by Imad Wasim. If Afridi finds his mojo again, it gives a well-rounded look to the attack and his form will be crucial for Pakistan, not only in this game but even in the ICC World Twenty20 that follows.

Bangladesh will welcome the return of Tamim Iqbal who is coming back from a paternity leave. It will lease their batting issues a touch. They too, like Pakistan, have faced problems with lack of runs from their top order. Sabbir Rahman played a gem against Sri Lanka while Shakib Al Hasan also got to spend some time in the middle. The latter in particular will have to fire soon if Bangladesh are to make an impact in T20Is.

The win against Sri Lanka puts them in good stead to up the ante against Pakistan. That win, notwithstanding, Bangladesh have done well against Pakistan in recent times. So much so that they might even claim to have a psychological edge over them. Only last year, they managed a clean-sweep against Pakistan in the limited over-series, winning all three One-Day Internationals, and the lone T20I.

Those losses will be fresh in the minds of Pakistan, as much as it will be for the hosts. For Afridi's men, the maturity shown by Shoaib Malik and Umar Akmal against UAE was a definite improvement from their spectacular collapse against India. If the top order starts firing as well, they will be a hard team to beat in any condition, given their bowling attack.

The man in focus will once again be Amir. After a three-wicket burst in the first game against India, he turned out a miserly spell against UAE, conceding only six runs in his four overs. He's quickly transforming into the lead strike-bowler of this Pakistan team. The ball has tended to do a bit at the start of the innings and Bangladesh will be wary of him, in particular. If they can play him out with little damage, then there is a chance to exploit Pakistan's spin-attack.

After the first few games, the tracks in Mirpur have started to lose their shades of green. There has even been enough assistance for the spinners in the last couple of games. This will also mean that both teams will be looking at spin as a strike-force once again. Bangladesh might pip for a spinner to replace Mustafizur instead of a four-pronged pace attack.

It will be a crucial tie for both teams as the race to the final heats up. With India assuring their spot in the final,