Lacklustre Pak stroll through

Chasing 141 for a win, Pakistan hardly looked convincing even though they managed to reach the target with one over to spare. Shahid Afridi, opening the innings, topscored with a 15-ball 39 that included two sixes and five boundaries, while Imran Nazir, hit in the groin by Mashrafe Mortaza’s third delivery, returned to remain unbeaten on 27.

After Nazir returned for treatment, Afridi and Mohammad Hafeez were going great guns and the duo added 59 runs inside six overs when Syed Rasel had Hafeez caught by Tamim Iqbal. Hafeez, who made 23 off 21, was caught in the deep of Syed Rasel. Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzaq got the vital wicket of Afridi as Pakistan slipped to 69 for three.

Pakistan lost three more wickets and slumped to 119 for six before Nazir and Butt saw them through.

Earlier, Bangladesh rode on the debutant opener Junaid Siddique’s magnificient half century to post 140. Junaid blitzed his way to a 49-ball 71 which included six boundaries and three sixes. But he did not get able support at the other end with Bangaldesh’s next highest scorer Aftab Ahmed managing just 15. 19-year-old left-hander Junaid was fortunate early in his innings to get a life when Misbah-ul Haq failed to grab his miscued pull shot.

Tamim Iqbal was the first wicket to fall through a superb pick-and-throw from Mohammed Hafeez running in from point. That didn’t deter Junaid from playing his shots as he hit some exquisite strokes off the Pakistani new-ball bowlers. Bangladesh had another reprieve when a hoick off Tanvir flied just above Nazir’s hands at deep midwicket.

Shahidi Afridi was blasted for two boundaries down the ground as Junaid reached his 50 in 35 balls. Aftab Ahmed on the other end scored in singles and the duo added 63 runs for the second wicket. But once Aftab was stumped by Kamran Akmal off Hafeez (2-27), wickets tumbled at regular intervals.

Hafeez also got rid of Saqibul Hasan while skipper Mohammad Ashraful was trapped in front by Afridi.

SCOREBOARD

Bangladesh: T Iqbal run out (Mohammad Hafeez) 3, Z Siddique c Misbah-ul Haq b Shoaib Malik 71, A Ahmed st Kamran Akmal b M Hafeez 15, M Ashraful lbw b Shahid Afridi 5, S Hasan c & b Mohammad Hafeez 1, N Chowdhury c Kamran Akmal b Shoaib Malik 12, M Ullah Riyad run out (Umar Gul) 1, M Mortaza b Mohammad Asif 11, M Rahim not out 6, A Razzak run out (Mohammad Asif) 0, S Rasel b Umar Gul 1

Extras: (7lb, 7w, 4nb) 14; Total: 140 (all out, 19.4 overs)

Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-79, 3-84, 4-86, 5-112, 6-119, 7-122, 8-137, 9-137

Bowling: Asif 4-0-26-0, Tanvir 3-0-27-0, Afridi 4-0-25-1, Hafeez 3-0-27-2, Gul 3.4-0-17-1, Malik 2-0-15-2

Pakistan: I Nazir not out 27, S Afridi c Mushfiqur Rahim b Abdur Razzak 39, M Hafeez c b Syed Rasel 23, S Butt run out (Mushfiqur Rahim) 21, Y Khan st Mushfiqur Rahim b Abdur Razzak 1, S Malik c Aftab Ahmed b Mahmud Ullah Riyad 21, M ul Haq lbw b Mashrafe Mortaza 1, K Akmal not out 3

Extras: (1lb, 3w, 1nb) 5; Total: 141 (for 6 wickets, 19 overs)

Fall of wickets: 1-59, 2-66, 3-69, 4-102, 5-106, 6-119

Bowling: Mortaza 4-0-45-1, Rasel 3-0-34-1, Razzak 4-0-16-2, Hasan 4-0-17-0, M Ullah Riyad 4-0-28-1