Pakistan oust Bangladesh, Australia from WT20 with 50-run win over hosts
Talented opener Ahmed Shehzad scored a brilliant unbeaten hundred as Pakistan crushed hosts Bangladesh by 50 runs to keep their semifinal hopes alive here on Sunday. The result also eliminated Australia from the tournament and Pakistan and West Indies will fight out for the second semifinal spot with India having already qualified for the last-four stage from Group 2.
Batting first, Pakistan scored a commanding 190 for five with Shehzad (111 not out) hitting his maiden T20 International century which was laced with 10 boundaries and five sixes from 62 deliveries.
Shehzad, who was later adjudged man-of-the-match, made it to the record books as he became the only Pakistani to hit a T20 International hundred.
In reply, it was yet another listless show from Bangladesh as they could score only 140 for seven as they lost their fourth successive match (including last game in the qualifying round) on trot.
Umar Gul (3/30) and Shahid Afridi (1/21) kept the Bangladeshi batsmen under wraps as the home side never looked like putting up a decent fight.
The match belonged to 22-year-old Shehzad, touted as the 'Next Big Thing in Pakistan cricket after Umar Akmal. He was off the blocks in a flash as he blasted the listless Bangladeshi bowling attack with a wide array of strokes on both sides of the wicket.
The mayhem started in the third over bowled by Mashrafe Mortaza that went for 18 runs. Shehzad hit three successive boundaries. The first one was over mid-wicket, the next through deep square leg and the last one through the covers. If that wasn’t enough, he danced down the track to loft Mashrafe over long-off for a huge maximum. The second six was an inside-out six over extra cover. The opener completed his half-century off 30 balls.
Veteran Shoaib Malik (26) was the perfect foil as the duo added 82 runs for the fourth wicket.
After Mashrafe got the 'special treatment', another military medium bowler Zia-ur Rahman was slogged over deep mid-wicket for two huge sixes. Shehzad showed his skills as a touch-player with a late cut that went for a boundary.
Shehzad's ton came off 59 balls when he pushed Shakib for a single through the covers. As if it to celebrate the achievement, he sent a Mashrafe delivery soaring over square. Mashrafe had the worst figures among the Bangladeshi bowlers giving away 63 runs in four overs.
Bangladesh started the chase in their flamboyant manner as Tamim Iqbal (16) and Anamul Haque (18) getting 30 runs before Gul rattled the former with a quicker delivery.Anamul, as usual, was dismissed when committed to a stroke early giving Saeed Ajmal a simple return catch.
Brief Scores
Pakistan: 190/5 in 20 overs. (Ahmed Shehzad 111*, Shoiab Malik 26; Abdur Razzak 2/20) beat Bangladesh: 140/7 in 20 overs.(Shakib Al Hasan 38, Nasir Hossain 23; Umar Gul 3/30, Saeed Ajmal 2/20) by 50 runs.