SPORTS EDGE

Pakistan crush hapless Bangladesh
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:05 GMT


Pakistan crushed a hapless Bangladesh by ten wickets in the inconsequential last Super League match in the Asia Cup after paceman Abdur Rauf took a career-best 3-24 at National Stadium here on Friday. The 29-year-old rattled Bangladesh's top order to help Pakistan bowl out the visitors for just 115 in 38.2 overs after the tourists won the toss and elected to bat in overcast conditions. Pakistan openers Nasir Jamshed scored 52 not out and Salman Butt made an unbeaten 56 to see the home team through at a canter. The paltry target proved no obstacle whatsoever for the home team as Jamshed and Butt thrashed an innocuous looking Bangladesh attack to all corners of the park. Butt hit ten boundaries during his 62-ball knock, while Jamshed notched five boundaries and two sixes during his 56 balls. With nothing to play for except pride since titleholders Sri Lanka and India have already qualified for the July 6 final, Bangladesh's batsmen never looked at ease against disciplined Pakistan bowling. Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik said it was the "complete" performance by his team. "It's disappointing that we could not reach the final but we still gave a complete performance against Bangladesh and ended the tournament on a high. Our bowlers were very good, especially Rauf," said Malik. Rauf, whose previous best of 3-45 came in his debut match against Zimbabwe earlier this year, had opener Nazimuddin (three), captain Mohammad Ashraful (14) and Tamim Iqbal (26) out in his incisive seven-over spell. Iqbal and Ashraful had the only productive stand of 41 for the second wicket. Ashraful hit Rauf for a six before edging the next ball straight to slip. In contrast to Malik, Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons admitted his team had rarely performed so badly. "I think the boys were already thinking of the flight back home and so gave one of their worst performances. We simply couldn't bat and never seemed on course for a good, respectable total," said Siddons, a former Australian player. "Our batting was miserable and never gave us any chance in the match." Alok Kapali (17) and Mushfiqur Rahim (15) offered little resistance and once Rahim was run out, paceman Rao Iftikhar struck twice with the wickets of Kapali and Mashrafe Mortaza (one) to finish with 2-20. Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal took 2-19. Pakistan dropped out-of-form allrounder Shahid Afridi from the line-up which beat India on Wednesday. Malik, who missed the last match due to dehydration, returned after regaining full fitness. Bangladesh remained unchanged from the line-up which lost to Sri Lanka on Monday but that consistency of selection counting for nothing.

Scoreboard:

Bangladesh:
Tamim
Iqbal c Younus b Rauf
26
Nazimuddin
c Malik b Rauf
3
Mohammad Ashraful
c Misbah b Rauf
14
Raqibul Hasan
c Iftikhar b Tanveer
0
Mushfiqur Rahim
run out
15
Alok Kapali
c Younus b Iftikhar
17
Mahmudullah Riyad
c Misbah b Malik
11
Farhad Reza
st Sarfraz b Ajmal
3
Mashrafe Mortaza
lbw b Iftikhar
1
Abdur Razzak
b Ajmal
9
Shahadat Hossain
not out
0
Extras:
(lb4, nb1, w11)
16
Total:
115
Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Nazimuddin), 2-47 (Ashraful), 3-48 (Hasan), 4-49 (Iqbal), 5-73 (Kapali), 6-92 (Rahim), 7-99 (Mahmudullah), 8-100 (Mortaza), 9-113 (Razzak) Bowling:
Tanveer
7-0-31-1 (1nb)
Rauf
8-1-24-3 (3w)
Iftikhar
10-6-20-2 (2w)
Ajmal
8.2-0-19-2 (5w)
Malik
5-0-17-1 (1w)
Overs:
38.2

Pakistan:

Salman Butt not out 56 Nasir Jamshed not out 52 Extras: (b1, lb4, w3) 8 Total: (for no loss) 116 Did not bat: Younus Khan, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul Haq, Rao Iftikhar, Sarfraz Ahmed, Sohail Tanveer, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rauf Bowling: Mashrafe 3-0-9-0,(1w) Hossain 7-0-40-0 (1w), Razzak 7-0-42-0 (1w), Mahmudullah 2-0-15-0, Reza 0.4-0-5-0 Overs: 19.4 Result: Pakistan won by ten wickets

Toss: Bangladesh

Umpires: Tony Hill (NZL), Ian Gould (ENG) TV umpire: Gamini Silva (SRI) Match referee: Alan Hurst (AUS)