Pakistan Shaheens made an impressive start against Bangladesh ‘A’ in the first four-day match, bowling out the visitors for just 122 runs in 44.3 overs on the first day at the Islamabad Club. Despite the day’s play being affected by rain, the Shaheens put in a commanding performance with the ball.
Bangladesh ‘A’ struggled from the start, with the match delayed by four hours due to a wet outfield. When play finally began, Shaheens’ bowler Mir Hamza struck early, dismissing Zakir Hasan for a duck after just seven balls.
The highlight of Bangladesh’s innings was Mahmudul Hasan Joy, who played a resilient knock of 65 runs off 116 balls, including nine boundaries. His efforts were the only significant resistance against a strong Shaheens bowling attack.
Other notable contributions came from Mominul Haque (11 runs off 15 balls) and Mushfiqur Rahim (14 runs off 27 balls), but none could capitalize further.
Mahmudul and Mushfiqur’s 38-run partnership was the most productive for Bangladesh ‘A,’ but it was broken by Mohammad Ali, who was also the most economical bowler of the day. Ali bowled 11 overs, giving away only 14 runs, including six maidens, and took the crucial wicket of Mushfiqur.
Naseem Shah, returning to red-ball cricket after over a year, was the standout performer for Pakistan Shaheens. He took 3 wickets for 24 runs in 8.3 overs, showing his class and skill in the longer format.
Mir Hamza also took three wickets, conceding 33 runs in 11 overs. Leg-spinner Mohammad Rameez Jnr chipped in with 2 wickets for 41 runs in his 11 overs.
By the end of the day, Pakistan Shaheens had scored 2 runs without losing a wicket in the two overs they faced before bad light brought an early end to the day’s play. Saim Ayub remained not out on 2 runs, alongside Mohammad Huraira, as the hosts trailed by 120 runs.
