Pakistan beat Bangladesh to enter Super Eight stage
Pakistan bludgeoned Bangladesh out of the World Twenty20 and
successfully reached the Super Eight round with a ruthless batting
display on Tuesday.
Imran Nazir's brilliant 72 and skipper Mohammad Hafeez's 45 helped
take Pakistan past Bangladesh's challenging 175-6 in Pallekele, after
already overhauling the target needed to go through on net run-rate.
Shakib Al Hasan had smashed a record 84 for Bangladesh, who needed to
win by 36 runs to go through, raising the prospect of a shock upset
against the former champions.
But those hopes were quickly dashed by opener Nazir's career-best
knock, including nine boundaries and three sixes in 36 balls, which made
up the bulk of Pakistan's 124 for the opening wicket with Hafeez.
Even when both fell in one Abul Hasan over, Nasir Jamshed (29 not
out) and Kamran Akmal (22 not out) ensured the win was achieved with
eight balls to spare as Pakistan wrapped it up with 178-2, joining New
Zealand in the next round.
Earlier it was left-hander Hasan who hit his second Twenty20 fifty
and added 68 runs for the third wicket with skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (25)
after Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat.
Hasan, whose previous T20 best of 57 came against Ireland at Belfast
earlier this year, smashed 11 boundaries and two sixes during his
54-ball knock, improving Nazimuddin's previous best of 81, against
Pakistan at Nairobi in 2007.
Opener Tamim Iqbal hit five boundaries in his 12-ball 24 before he
was unfortunately run out. It was Hasan who punished every Pakistani
bowler, with Umar Gul going for 43 runs in his three overs.
Pakistan were sloppy in the field, with Sohail Tanveer dropping a
sitter off Rahim and Shahid Afridi failing to hold on to a sharp chance
off Hasan -- both in one over by Yasir Arafat, who was best bowler with
3-25.
The Super Eight, which decide the semi-finalists, start in Pallekele
on Thursday, with Sri Lanka taking on New Zealand and England playing
the West Indies in Group One.
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