April 20, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 13, 1429

KARACHI, April 19: Opener Salman Butt smashed a record-breaking century to help Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 150 runs in the fifth and final day-night international here on Saturday for a 5-0 series whitewash.

The left-hander scored a career-best 136 to lift Pakistan to their highest one-day total against Bangladesh of 329-9 in their 50 overs before the tourists succumbed to 179 all out in 40.5 overs at the National Stadium, Karachi.

The 23-year-old opener, who had scores of 33, 76, 132 and 74 in the series, amassed 451 in all. It was the highest ever aggregate by a Pakistani batsman in a bilateral five-match one-day series, beating Mohammad Yousuf’s 405 against Zimbabwe in 2002.

Pakistan’s previous highest total against Bangladesh was achieved in the first match of this series in Lahore when they made 322-5.

The victory gave Pakistan their 11th successive one-day win, beating the previous sequence of ten victories achieved between April and November 1990.

Australia holds the record of most successive wins, with 21 in 2003.

Bangladesh never looked on course for a consolation win as they were rocked by paceman Mohammad Asif (3-35), who removed opener Junaid Siddique (six), Aftab Ahmed (nought) and Shakib Al Hasan (five) in the space of five balls.

In between, Asif’s pace partner Umar Gul had Tamim Iqbal (nine), caught behind by Kamran Akmal to leave Bangladesh reeling at 23-4.

Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful hit four boundaries in his 30 before leg-spinner Shahid Afridi forced an edge which was smartly snapped up by Misbah-ul Haq in the slip. Afridi finished with 3-40.—AFP