Pakistan
beat Bangladesh by a comfortable margin of 76 runs today at S.S.C.,
Colombo. Pakistan’s skipper Inzamam had won the toss and elected
to bat first, giving indications that the wicket would get slower
and lower in the afternoon. This was the first match for Bob Woolmer
as Pakistan’s coach and the start of his tenure looked promising
with today’s performance from his young team. Man of the match was
Yasir Hameed for his 102. Yasir Hameed gave the foundation for
Pakistan with a solid hundred laced with 10 boundaries. Skipper
Inzamam supported him well with a strokeful 58 of 66 balls with 4
boundaries and 2 big sixes. Pakistan scored 257/6 by the end of the
innings, which would be enough for an inexperienced Bangladesh
batting. Young left arm spinner, Abdul Razzaq, who is just in his 2nd
ODI impressed yet again with a neat spell of 2/36 from his 10 overs.
Bangladesh had a good start with Javed Omar and Ashraful seeing off
the early overs of the fiery Shoaib Akthar and Md.Sami. Bangladesh
were at a solid 48/0 and that was an opportunity to seize for the
Banglas to stage an upset. But Md.Sami rescued Pakistan with a
two-wicket burst removing Ashraful and skipper Habibul Bashar in
quick time to reduce Bangladesh to 52/2. After Bangladesh lost their
best batsman, Bashar, it was an uphill task indeed for the minnows.
With the introduction of spin, it was way too difficult for the
Bangladeshis to time their shots. Only Javed Omar played decently
and went on to make his second half-century in a row. Once Omar got
run out in a silly mix up, it was nothing but playing out the overs.
Danish Kaniera and Shoaib Malik both went through their overs
quickly and to score runs off their tantalizingly slow bowling on a
slow track was one big task for the inexperienced Bangladeshi
batsmen. Shoaib Akthar was back and wasted no time in finishing the
match with a three-wicket burst. Bangladesh were all out for 181 in
just over 45 overs to give a 76 run victory to Pakistan.
Pakistan
beat Bangladesh by a comfortable margin of 76 runs today at S.S.C.,
Colombo. Pakistan’s skipper Inzamam had won the toss and elected
to bat first, giving indications that the wicket would get slower
and lower in the afternoon. This was the first match for Bob Woolmer
as Pakistan’s coach and the start of his tenure looked promising
with today’s performance from his young team. Man of the match was
Yasir Hameed for his 102. Yasir Hameed gave the foundation for
Pakistan with a solid hundred laced with 10 boundaries. Skipper
Inzamam supported him well with a strokeful 58 of 66 balls with 4
boundaries and 2 big sixes. Pakistan scored 257/6 by the end of the
innings, which would be enough for an inexperienced Bangladesh
batting. Young left arm spinner, Abdul Razzaq, who is just in his 2nd
ODI impressed yet again with a neat spell of 2/36 from his 10 overs.