Right-arm fast bowler Mohammad Abbas Afridi’s five-wicket haul and half-centuries by Haseebullah and Usman Khan guided Pakistan Shaheens to an eight-wicket win over Bangladesh ‘A’ in the first one-day at the Islamabad Club on Monday.
After opting to field, Pakistan Shaheens bundled out the visiting team for 183 runs in 36 overs.
Abbas Afridi was the pick of the bowlers, with match figures of 9-0-38-5. This was Abbas’ second five-fer in 22 List-A matches.
Left-arm pacer Jahandad Khan (2-51) and left-arm spinner Mehran Mumtaz (2-29) equally supported Abbas as only Saif Hassan (58, 47b, 10x4s, 1×6) managed to score a half-century for Bangladesh ‘A’.
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Rishad Hossain coming to bat at number nine was the other notable run-getter, scoring 40 off 37 balls, hitting four fours and two sixes.
In turn, Pakistan Shaheens achieved the target in 27.5 overs courtesy of a 129-run partnership between Haseebullah and Usman for the second wicket.
Left-handed opening batter Haseebullah returned undefeated on 73 off 81 balls, smashing seven fours and two sixes. Right-handed batter Usman fell 13 runs short of his first List-A century.
His innings included eight boundaries and five towering sixes, which came off 60 balls. Omair Bin Yousuf also returned unbeaten on 14 off 19, adding an unbroken 42-run partnership for the third wicket with Haseebullah.
For Bangladesh ‘A’, Mahedi Hasan and Mosaddek Hossain snapped a wicket each.
The win gives Shaheens a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The second match between Pakistan Shaheens and Bangladesh A will be played at the same venue on Wednesday, 28 August, with the first ball to be bowled at 9.30 am.