ICC World Twenty20, Highlights: Pakistan rout Bangladesh to keep semis hope alive

Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 50 runs in a Group 2 game of the ICC World Twenty20 at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur. Catch highlights here: (Match Scorecard | Text Commentary | Points table | Innings report)

 

18:32 (IST): So, Pakistan have got themselves in a position where they can reach the semifinals of the tournament if they beat West Indies in their next match. Their skipper Mohammad Hafeez said that his players understood the importance of the game and pulled up their socks accordingly. He credited Pakistan's first T20 centurion Ahmed Shehzad for his wonderful knock and said that the team and management had backed him despite his being under pressure before the game. Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim said that Shakib and Razzak bowled well for his team but the others gave it up. Man of the Match Ahmed Shehzad said that the team plans were more important to him for his knock but was happy that it materialised today.

 

18:27 (IST): Pakistan 190/5 (Ahmed Shehzad 111*; Umar Gul 3/30) beat Bangladesh 140/7 (Shakib Al Hasan 38; Abdur Razzak 2/20) by 50 runs at Mirpur.

 

18:16 (IST): Mashrafe Mortaza providing the last minute thrills. Bangladesh 127/7 (18.5 overs) chasing 191 vs PAK.

 

18:08 (IST): OUT! Ziaur Rahman c Kamran Akmal b Umar Gul 0. Bangladesh 116/7 (17.4 overs).

18:04 (IST): OUT! Nasir Hossain st Kamran Akmal b Saeed Ajmal 23. Bangladesh 112/6 (17 overs) chasing 191.

 

17:58 (IST): OUT! Shakib Al Hasan c Umar Akmal b Umar Gul 38. BAN 91/5 (15 overs).

 

17:57 (IST): Shakib Al Hasan makes the match interesting with some more boundaries! BAN 91/4 (14.5 overs) chasing 191.

17:45 (IST): Zulfiqar to Shakib! SIX! 91 m! And another one! BAN 68/4 (11.4 overs) chasing 191 vs Pakistan.

17:44 (IST): Zulfiqar to Shakib! Is there a stumping? No, Shakib survives! BAN 56/4 (11.2 overs).

 

17:31 (IST): OUT! Mushfiqur Rahim lbw b Zulfiqar Babar 2. BAN 47/4 (9.1 overs) chasing 191 vs Pakistan.

 

17:18 (IST): OUT! Anamul Haque c & b Saeed Ajmal 18. BAN 36/2 (5.4 overs) chasing 191 vs Pakistan.

 

17:11 (IST): OUT! Tamim Iqbal b Umar Gul 16. BAN 30/1 (4.2 overs) chasing 191 vs Pakistan. Shakib Al Hasan comes in to bat now.

 

17:05 (IST): Mohammad Hafeez calls Ahmed Shehzad to be quick in the field but Anamul Haque gets a six next ball. BAN 20/0 (3 overs). Anamul Haque (12*), Tamim Iqbal (7*).

 

16:43 (IST): Pakistan post 190/5 (20 overs) vs Bangladesh. Ahmed Shehzad (111*), Shoaib Malik (26); Razzak (2/20) . Here's how Shehzad got to his century.

16:37 (IST): Boom boom! Shahid Afridi gets into the act now! Seizes his opportunity. 2 sixes! PAK 175/4 (18.3 overs).

16:35 (IST): Ahmed Shehzad continues his dream run! Was caught off a no ball. Free hit! PAK 163/4 (18.1 overs).

 

16:29 (IST): Shehzad gets his 1st T20I ton (58 balls). This is the 2nd of the tournament. PAK 156/4 (18 overs) vs BAN.

 

16:27 (IST): OUT! Shoaib Malik st Mushfiqur b Shakib Al Hasan 26. Pakistan 154/4 (17.4 overs) vs Bangladesh.

 

16:17 (IST): Mortaza comes back to bowl as Shehzad fails to produce a switch hit. PAK 130/3 (15.1 overs) vs BAN.

 

16:12 (IST): Shakib Al Hasan tries to slow things a little after 2 huge overs (22 and 13). Pakistan 126/3 (14.3 overs). Ahmed Shehzad (80* off 42 balls), Shoaib Malik (23* off 19 balls).

 

16:02 (IST): Ahmed Shehzad hits Ziaur Rahman for a huge six and follows up with a boundary! He has raced to 66 off just 37 deliveries. Pakistan 98/3 (12.2 overs) vs Bangladesh.

 

15:45 (IST): OUT! Umar Akmal c Tamim Iqbal b Mahmudullah 0. PAK 71/3 (9.2 overs).

15:44 (IST): Ahmed Shehzad brings up his 4th T20I 50 with a single off Mahmudullah. PAK 71/2 (9.1 overs).

15:40 (IST): OUT! Mohammad Hafeez st Mushfiqur b Razzak 8. PAK 70/2 (8.5 overs).

 

15:29 (IST): Ahmed Shehzad happy to rotate the strike off Shakib. PAK 47/1 (5.1 overs).

15:23 (IST): OUT! Stunning catch! Kamran Akmal c Ziaur b Razzak 9. PAK 43/1 (4.3 overs).

15:21 (IST): Shakib Al Hasan bowling his first over after the third one went for 18 courtesy Ahmed Shehzad! PAK 38/0 (3.2 overs).

15:18 (IST): Ahmed Shehzad looks in great touch! Has raced to 19 off 10 balls. PAK 24/0 (2.3 overs).

15:16 (IST): Ahmed Shehzad employs a straight drive for 2nd four off Al-Amin's 1st over. PAK 16/0 (2 overs).

15:12 (IST): Mashrafe Mortaza's good first over script turned to pieces by Kamran Akmal with a four off the last ball. PAK 5/0 (1 over).

 

Playing XIs

Bangladesh

Tamim Iqbal, Anamul Haque, Shamsur Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Nasir Hossain, Mahmudullah, Ziaur Rahman, Mashrafe Mortaza, Abdur Razzak, Al-Amin Hossain

Pakistan

Kamran Akmal, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Sohaib Maqsood, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul, Zulfiqar Babar, Saeed Ajmal

 

 

14:33 (IST): Pakistan win toss and elect to bat first vs Bangladesh at Mirpur. Skipper Mohammad Hafeez thinks that the hot conditions will favour batsmen. Sohail Tanvir comes in place of Bilawal Bhatti. In the Bangladesh side, Abdur Razzak comes in place of Sohag Gazi. Mushfiqur Rahim says its time their team starts performing.

 

 

Preview

Pakistan are gearing up to take a step forward towards semi-final qualification as they aim to get past Bangladesh in the Group 2 League match of the ICC World Twenty20 today.

A victory against Bangladesh will officially end Australia's theoretical chance of qualifying for the last four as George Bailey's men can win only two matches from here on. The victory will also make the West Indies versus Pakistan clash on April 1 a virtual quarter-final, which will decide the second team from the group after India.

Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez said he is pleased arch-rival India have secured a semi-final berth at the ICC World Twenty20 because it gives other teams a clear scenario of what's needed to join them in the next stage.

"India has played very good cricket so far and it's good they are through and the rest of the teams know what it will take to advance," Hafeez said on the eve of Pakistan's next Group 2 game against Bangladesh. "The picture is very clear. We have to win every game to enter the semifinals."

For Bangladesh, they are hoping against hope that they are able to pull a coup of sorts by upsetting the Pakistan applecart. Their premier all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, in fact, made it clear that they are not even hoping for a semi-final berth at the moment.

"After losing the last two games, the morale is obviously down but the beauty of T20 cricket is that you can always come back in the next game. There's no team that can say it will win. It's so short, if you make a mistake, it's hard to come back. Mathematically, may be, we can qualify for semi-final, but it is very hard for us to win two games and qualify," Shakib said. (Read more)

Flag ban by Bangladesh anger Pakistan greats

Former Pakistani players Wednesday hit out after Bangladesh banned their own fans from waving non-Bangladeshi flags at the ongoing ICC World Twenty20 tournament. Hosts Bangladesh issued the order after an outcry over images of locals waving Pakistani flags during the recent Asia Cup.

Bangladesh were part of Pakistan before the 1971 war of independence, in which it says three million people were killed -- most at the hands of the army of the Islamic republic and its allied militias.

Former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad said the move violated the spirit of the game. "I am surprised at the decision," Miandad said. "Cricket is a game which harbours sportsman spirit and this decision violates that spirit."

Another former captain, Mohammad Yousuf, urged the BCB to rethink. "I am sure that the BCB will take this decision back because it defies logic and I am sure the International Cricket Council will seek some explanation," Yousuf said. (Read more)

Teams

Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain/wicketkeeper), Abdur Razzak, Al-Amin Hossain, Anamul Haque, Farhad Reza, Mahmudullah, Mashrafe Mortaza, Mominul Haque, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Shamsur Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan, Sohag Gazi, Tamim Iqbal, Ziaur Rahman

Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Bilawal Bhatti, Junaid Khan, Kamran Akmal (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Talha, Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi, Sharjeel Khan, Shoaib Malik, Sohaib Maqsood, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Zulfiqar Babar