ODI World Cup: Pakistan pacers run through Bangladesh

PTI, Oct 31, 2023, 6:34 PM IST

Credit: ICC / Cricket World Cup

Kolkata: The express pace battery, led by Shaheen Shah Afridi, helped Pakistan bundle out Bangladesh for a below-par 204 in the World Cup in Kolkata on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old rattled the Bangladeshi top-order and became the fastest Pakistani to reach 100 ODI wickets before ending with figures of 9-1-23-3.

Mohammad Wasim Jr. then cleaned up the tail returning with figures of 8.1-1-31-3 as Bangladesh failed to last the distance yet again to be bowled out in 45.1 overs.

Shaheen may have lost his pace a bit after recovering from a knee injury, but the 23-year-old bowled with clever variations and extracted swing on a flat Eden wicket.

Shaheen straightway got into the action, trapping Tanzid Hasan leg before wicket with extra bounce and late swing. That happened to be his 100th wicket in ODIs. He became the fastest Pakistani to do so beating Saqlain Mushtaq’s mark by a couple of innings.

A brilliant low diving catch by Usama Mir at forward short leg made it two in two overs for Shaheen.

It would have been worse for Bangladesh but Mahmudullah made a responsible 56 off 70 balls (6×4, 1×6) in a 79-run partnership with Litton Das (45; 64b).

From 6/2 in 2.4 overs, Bangladesh were looking at yet another capitulation when Haris Rauf dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim to reduce them to 23/3 before Mahmudullah came to his team’s rescue.

The intent was clear from the Bangladesh perspective as they promoted Mahmudullah to No 5.

After Shaheen was taken off the attack, Pakistan also failed to build pressure from both ends, giving Litton and Mahmudullah enough opportunity to make a quick recovery.

The likes of Wasim Jr and Mir, who impressed with their tidy show against South Africa, gave a lot of freebies and the Bangladeshi duo was happy to pierce the gaps.

They welcomed Wasim Jr with a couple of boundaries while Mir too was hit for a four in his first over.

Bangladesh were looking in no trouble before off-spinner Iftikhar Ahmed (1/44) provided the crucial breakthrough dismissing Litton.

Shaheen was recalled and bowling around the wicket, he produced a gem of a delivery to end Mahmudullah’s stay in the middle.

Skipper Shakib Al Hasan then tried to forge a partnership but frittered away his start and was done in by a short ball from by Haris Raul (2/36).