Bangladesh v Pakistan – http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 World Twenty20 2012 – (12th match - Group D) – Match Recap – 8-wicket win takes Pakistan to Super Eights
Following up a rare lacklustre bowling performance with a powerful batting display courtesy Imran Nazir’s quick-fire half-ton, Pakistan made it to the Super Eights stage of the ongoing ICC World Twenty20 2012 after claiming an 8-wicket victory over Group
D opponents Bangladesh, who found themselves knocked out of the tournament after their defeat at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on September 25.
The match posed a do-or-die situation for the Tigers, who required a victory with a margin of 36 runs or more to make it to the next stage of the tournament. While Shakib Al Hasan’ half-century enabled the team to post a solid score of 175, they failed to
rein in their opponents’ rampaging batting order, and eventually found themselves unable to break their 13-year-long losing streak against Pakistan.
Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first, putting on a fairly competent display. Tips from spin consultant http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Saeed-Ajmal-c87859 or Mohammad Hafeez, both
of whom went wicketless.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sohail-Tanvir-c90665 (3-0-25-1) in the 4th over.
The next batsman to step up to the crease was Shakib Al http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Hasan-c61990, who contributed 84 off 54 – the highest individual T20I score by a Bangladeshi batsman. His partnership with Tamim Iqbal lasted only 27 runs, and came to an end with the latter’s dismissal in
the 6th over (run out by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mohammad-Hafeez-c76898). However, wicketkeeper and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (25) proved an able partner for the all-rounder, and together they set up a stand of 68 runs for the third wicket.
Yasir Arafat (3-0-25-3) claimed http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mahmudullah-c1877 was up
next, but he was dismissed in the very next over on duck by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 (4-0-20-1).
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747 eventually posted
a sizeable total of 175 by the end of 20 overs, at the expense of 6 wickets.
With the Bangladeshi batsmen having done their duty, the responsibility rested on the shoulders of the bowlers, charged with the task of keeping their opponents at least 36 runs short of the target. However, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 had no trouble chasing down their highest
target in T20Is so far (176), and Imran Nazir made sure his team’s shoddy bowling and fielding did not cost them, as he smashed the fastest half-ton in the tournament as yet – 72 off 36, with a strike rate of 200.00.
Opening alongside Mohammad Hafeez (45), Player of the Match http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Imran-c64193 Nazir set up a record second-highest opening stand for Pakistan with the captain – a massive 124-run partnership which put the team well on the way to victory. Bangladesh’s sloppy fielding
did not help their case, and the team would go on rue to the moment Abul Hasan dropped Imran Nazir on 1.
Both opening batsmen were sent packing by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Nasir-Jamshed-c78752 (29*) and wicketkeeper
batsman http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Kamran-Akmal-c70122 (22*), and their unbeaten 52-run partnership got the team safely over the finish line, reaching 178 with 8 wickets and 8 deliveries remaining.
The defeat saw Bangladesh unable to make a difference in their record of nine consecutive losses in World T20 tournaments so far, and yet another campaign came to a disappointing end. Pakistan, however, will now be advancing to the Super Eights stage, where
they have been placed in Group 2, alongside http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750.
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