Pakistan into Asia Cup final after record rundown win against Bangladesh
Shahid Afridi smashed the second fastest one-day half-century and Ahmed Shehzad hit a hundred to give Pakistan a three-wicket win over Bangladesh on Tuesday and a place in the Asia Cup final.
The 34-year-old, who hit two consecutive sixes to give Pakistan a one-wicket win over India on Sunday, was once again Pakistan’s saviour as they chased down their highest-ever target of 327 in 49.5 overs in Dhaka.
It was the aggression of Afridi which helped Pakistan overcame a tough resistance from the hosts.
Afridi overshadowed a brilliant 123-ball 103 by opener Ahmed Shehzad and a sedate 74 by Fawad Alam. Those two set the tone for the chase, but it was the aggression of Afridi which helped Pakistan overcame a tough resistance from the hosts.
Pakistan will meet Sri Lanka in Saturday’s final.
Afridi, who went into bat with Pakistan needing 101 off 52 balls, smashed paceman Shafiul Islam for a four to reach fifty off just 18 balls, one short of one-day cricket’s fastest-ever half-century record held by Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya, made against Pakistan in Singapore in 1996.
He equalled his own record of second fastest one-day fifty: he had scored an 18-ball fifty during his 37-ball hundred against Sri Lanka in Nairobi in 1996 and another 18-ball fifty against the Netherlands at Colombo in 2002. In all, Afridi took seven sixes and two boundaries off just 25 balls.
Pakistan’s previous best run chase in a one-day was 322-6 against India at Mohali in 2007.