MIRPUR, DHAKA: Pakistan easily outclassed Bangladesh by 70 runs in the rain-curtailed opening match of the triangular series here on Sunday at the Sher-e-Bangal National Stadium.
Chasing 234 runs to win the match at their home ground, Bangladesh were restricted at 163 runs for the loss of eight wickets in the allotted 40 overs with a fighting unbeaten knock of 56 runs by their captain Mohammad Ashraful.
Other main scorers were opener Tamim Iqbal (29) and tail-ender Abdul Razzak (26 not out) while six players could not enter into double-figures and three of them were dismissed for nought.
Spinners Shahid Afridi and Wahab Riaz claimed three wickets each for 19 and 22, respectively while pacer Umar Gul tool two for 28.
Earlier, Ashraful won the toss and invited Pakistan to bat first after the match was reduced to 40 overs-a-side due to rain.
Pakistan were all out for 233 runs in 39.4 overs after openers Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal gave Pakistan a solid start of 75 runs and later Butt and Mohammad Yousuf added 65 runs for the third wicket partnership.
Salman Butt made 70 runs with ten fours and Yousuf scored 59 with seven fours but after then no batsman could make any significant score except Misbah-ul-Haq, who blasted 39 off 22 balls with three fours and two sixes, and then the collapse began.
The last five wickets fell for just six runs as Bangladeshi pacer Aloke Kapali and slow left-arm bowler Abdul Razzak captured three wickets each for 49 and 35 runs, respectively, and Mashrafe Mortaza claimed two for 36.
Dolar Mahmud made his international debut for Bangladesh.
Teams:
Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Shahriar Nafees, Mohammad Ashraful (captain), Raqibul Hasan, Alok Kapali, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Mashrafe Mortaza, Dolar Mahmud, Abdur Razzak, Shahadat Hossain.
Pakistan: Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal (wk), Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik (captain), Shahid Afridi, Fawad Alam, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul.
Bangladesh v Pakistan
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Bangladesh(from)Abdur Razzak
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Pakistan(from)Bazid Khan
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LAHORE: Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar was cleared Wednesday to resume his career outside the country.
Akhtar can play anywhere in the world except for Pakistan,’’said Farrukh Aftab, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board appeal tribunal, told reporters.
He said that Shoaib could not play cricket within Pakistan and for the national team.
The fast bowler however has not been banned to play cricket outside Pakistan. He said the disciplinary committee has only imposed ban on him over playing in Pakistan.
The committee chairman further said that the fast bowler would not be selected for the national team for five years.
Replying a question he said the ban on Shoaib has not been softened due to any pressure.
KARACHI: The Pakistan cricket team will warm up for the Champions Trophy in September with a three-ODI series against New Zealand.According to a foreign news agency, New Zealand cricket officials have accepted Pakistani offer to play in a three-ODI series, subject to safety approval.Pakistan Cricket Board requested New Zealand to play five matches after West Indies turned down Pakistan’s offer. New Zealand officials said security matters would be reviewed before the tour.
MELBOURNE: Australia will travel to Pakistan twice over the next two years to make up for its canceled tour in March and April over security concerns.
Cricket Australia and the Pakistan Cricket Board said Monday that Australia will tour Pakistan in April/May of 2009 for a one-day series and then return in 2010 for a three-match test series.
Pakistan will also travel to Australia in 2009-10 for a previously scheduled tour, which includes three tests.
On March 11, Cricket Australia postponed its tour to Pakistan just hours after two bombs killed at least 15 people and injured many more in the eastern city of Lahore.
The tour, which had been scheduled to start March 29, had been in jeopardy due to security concerns expressed by Australian players and officials amid a wave of violence that swirled around the Feb.18 elections in Pakistan.
IPL: Chennai Super beat Punjab Kings by 33 runs
MOHALI: Chennai Super Kings beat Punjab Kings by 33 runs on Saturday in the first match of the day in Indian Premier League at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali.
Chennai Super Kings earlier set the highest record of Twenty20 cricket score with 240 runs, Punjab Kings XI chasing the target scored 207 runs in 20 overs.
Jay Hope 71, was the top scorer for the Punjab side and Kumara Sangakkara scored 54 runs.
Muralitharan, P. Amarnath and Joginder Singh grabbed one wicket each for Chennai Super Kings.
Earlier, the Chennai team won the toss and elected to bat firs. Michael Hussey made 116 runs with 10 sixes and seven fours for Chennai.