Crisis and controversy seem to be commonplace in Pakistan cricket. Sometimes, the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) strange decisions become the cause of criticism, while other times, the team's poor performance damages the country's reputation.
BAN vs PAK: Bangladesh once again proved their dominance on home soil by defeating Pakistan by 8 runs in the second T20 international match, securing an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Pakistan's team appeared quite disappointing in this match, especially in batting, where seven batsmen failed to reach double digits, and three players returned to the pavilion for a duck.
In this thrilling encounter, Bangladesh, batting first, scored 133 runs in 20 overs, but Pakistan's team, chasing the target, was all out for just 125 runs in 19.2 overs. This victory was not just a win for Bangladesh, but also a message that they are now ready to challenge not only at home but also on the world stage.
Pakistan's Batting Collapses, Faheem Ashraf's Fighting Innings
Pakistan's innings got off to a bad start. Opener Sam Ayub was run out for 1 run. After him, Mohammad Haris (0), Fakhar Zaman (8), Hasan Nawaz (0), Mohammad Nawaz (0), and captain Salman Ali Agha (9) returned to the pavilion. Pakistan's score was just 30 runs for 6 wickets, which determined the direction of the match. Khushdil Shah (13) and Abbas Afridi (18) struggled for a while, but could not take the team to victory.
The only Pakistani batsman who showed some resistance against the Bangladeshi bowlers was Faheem Ashraf. He scored 51 runs off 32 balls, including 4 fours and 4 sixes. He revived Pakistan's hopes by hitting a brilliant six in the 19th over, but Rishad Hossain bowled him on the very next ball, and Pakistan's hopes of a comeback ended there.
In the last over, Pakistan needed 13 runs to win. Bangladesh's experienced bowler Mustafizur Rahman made full use of his experience in this pressure-filled over and bowled Ahmed Daniyal on the second ball to give Bangladesh the victory.
Bangladesh's Innings: Zakir and Mahedi Take Charge
Bangladesh's batting start was also not good. The team had lost four wickets for 28 runs. But after that, Mahedi Hasan Miraz (33 runs, 25 balls) and Zakir Ali (55 runs, 48 balls) took charge of the innings. Zakir held one end and took the team to a respectable score. He scored 55 runs with the help of 5 sixes and 1 four and was dismissed on the last ball. His innings proved to be decisive in Bangladesh's victory.
Bangladesh's bowlers performed brilliantly in this match. Shoriful Islam gave the initial shocks and took 3 wickets. Tanzim Hasan Sakib took 2 wickets, while Rishad Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman dashed Pakistan's hopes by taking wickets at crucial moments. Pakistani batsmen kept losing wickets due to repeated wrong shot selections and succumbing to pressure, which the Bangladeshi bowlers took full advantage of.
