Pakistan come through Bangladesh fright

Pakistan got the defence of their World Twenty20 title off to a sound start with a 21-run win over Bangladesh at the Beausejour Stadium here on Saturday.

Victory was built around a huge first wicket stand of 142 between Kamran Akmal and man-of-the-match Salman Butt, who both made 73.

It was the third highest opening partnership in all Twenty20 internationals and just shy of the tournament record of 145 posted by the West Indies duo of Chris Gayle and Devon Smith against South Africa at Johannesburg in 2007.

The win more than atoned for Pakistan’s warm-up loss to Zimbabwe and set them up nicely for their Group A match on Sunday against Australia, who also lost to the Africans in the preliminaries.

This match looked all over when Bangladesh were 31 for two in the sixth over of their reply.

But Mohammad Ashraful (65) and captain Shakib Al Hasan (47) kept Bangladesh in the game with a third-wicket stand of 91 in 10 overs.

Ashraful, whose fifty came off 38 balls, struck Pakistan captain and leg-spinner Shahid Afridi for six high over long-off and Shakib struck Hafeez for two big sixes over long-on.

With five overs left, Bangladesh needed 53 runs for an improbable win. But, two balls later, Shakib holed out off Mohammad Sami to long-off.

“They played very well, it was very mature cricket but I knew I had a few overs from pacers such a Sami and Aamer so I was totally confident,” said Afridi.

Shakib said Bangladesh had paid the price for poor early overs in both innings.

“We didn’t start well with the ball and we didn’t start well with the bat. In the shorter version of game it’s very hard to come back if you don’t start well,” said Shakib.

“Fifty runs in five overs, that was chaseable. If either of us had stayed in until the 20th over, it could have been a different game.”

Sami turned 122 for three into 123 for four when he had Mahmudullah caught at point. Ashraful though was undaunted driving Afridi for six and Bangladesh’s target was down to 38 off 18 balls.

GROS ISLET, Saint Lucia, Sunday (AFP)