Afridi leads from front, Pakistan drubs Bangladesh
Print Edition
PAKISTAN captain Shahid Afridi led by example as his team put a tumultuous build-up behind it to launch its bid for a second World Twenty20 title with a 55-run victory against qualifier Bangladesh yesterday.
It took a lot of cajoling from the organizers to convince Pakistan to shed its security apprehensions and once the team landed for the tournament, Afridi’s comments about getting more love in India than in Pakistan riled fans back home.
None of it, however, seemed to affect the team which posted 201-5 at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens after opting to bat first and restricted its opponent to 146-6 in a lopsided Group Two contest.
Afridi blasted a 19-ball 49 and returned to take 2-27 in a personally satisfying outing for the flamboyant 36-year-old.
Afridi had been worried about Pakistan’s batting inconsistency and mentioned it at the toss but the allrounder had no reasons to complain yesterday as the top order fired in unison.
Pakistan lost opener Sharjeel Khan (18) cheaply but Mohammad Hafeez (64) and Ahmed Shehzad (52) added 95 runs in 11.2 overs to lay the foundation for the team’s only second 200-plus total in this format. After Shehzad’s dismissal, Afridi promoted himself in the batting order and clobbered four sixes in a typically entertaining knock.
Bangladesh’s left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny, who was reported for a suspect bowling action earlier, claimed 2-34.
Bangladesh needed a strong start to chase down such a big target but Mohammad Amir (2-27) sent Soumya Sarkar’s off-stump cartwheeling in the first over before Afridi’s double strikes reduced the qualifiers to 58-3 in eight overs. Down the order, Shakib Al Hasan remained not out on 50 but the target proved too much for Bangladesh.
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