LAHORE: Shoaib Malik showed exactly why he was recalled to the Pakistan side for the Twenty20 series against Bangladesh.

In the first game of the series at a half-empty Gaddafi Stadium on Friday, the veteran all-rounder smashed a solid half-century and carried Pakistan to a five-wicket victory over the visitors to the delight of the home crowd.

Malik, who scored 58 not out off 45 balls with five fours for his eighth Twenty20 fifty, was brought back into the team after Pakistan lost six of seven completed T20s in 2019 without him and need to beat Bangladesh 3-0 in the series to retain their world number one ranking.

In a low-scoring game, Pakistan knocked down the winning target with three balls to spare after scoring 142-5. Bangladesh had posted 141-5 after winning the toss and electing to bat.

“I’m really happy at playing a match-winning role,” a beaming Malik told reporters. “My target was to give my best to the team and I’m glad that I was able to show that I still have cricket left in me.”

Malik came to the crease with Pakistan in a spot of bother at 35-2, having lost captain Babar Azam — the world’s leading batsman in T20s — for a duck and Mohammad Hafeez, another veteran recalled alongside Malik, for 17.

He survived an lbw shout on the first ball he faced but it was plain sailing for him afterwards as he first combined with debutant opener Ahsan Ali (36) for a 46-run partnership and then added a further 36 for the fourth wicket with Iftikhar Ahmed (16) before taking Pakistan home.

“I had no fear that it was the end of my career if I was given out on the first ball,” said Malik of the lbw shout. “It wasn’t easy out there but I wanted to do well on my return.”

Pakistan suffered a huge blow in the second ball of their chase when Babar was caught behind off Shafiul Islam for the first duck in this format. Babar reviewed the decision but it was upheld.

Hafeez eased the pressure, cracking two boundaries off Mutafizur Rehman and young Ahsan also got on the act, putting Shafiul away for a four before cracking back-to-back boundaries in Mustafiz’s second over. The Bangladesh paceman, however, ended the over with Hafeez’s scalp.

Malik and Ahsan took Pakistan to 68-2 at the halfway stage of their chase before Ahsan holed out to substitute fielder Najamul Hussain off Aminul Islam.

“Having Malik alongside me was great as he guided me throughout my innings,” Ahsan said afterwards. “The pitch was a bit slow and I had to curb my aggressive style of playing but I’m really happy that I could make a contribution in the team’s victory.”

Iftikhar and Imad Wasim (6) departed in quick succession and it would’ve been a nervous finale if Mohammad Mithun had held on to a catch from Mohammad Rizwan with two runs required.

“We should’ve added 15 more runs to the total,” rued Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah. “We will come with a different planning in the second match [on Saturday]. Today, our openers had given us a solid platform to build on but we didn’t take advantage.”

Bangladesh openers Tamim Iqbal (39) and Naim Sheikh (43) shared a 70-run opening stand before the former was run out trying to steal a second run.

Spinner Shadab Khan then produced a brilliant fielding effort off his own bowling, running almost 20 metres and running out Liton Das (12) before having the well-set Naim, who hit two sixes in his 41-ball innings, caught by Iftikhar on the next ball to reduce Bangladesh to 98-3.

Afif Hossain was the next to go, clean bowled by debutant Haris Rauf before Shaheen Shah Afridi cleaned up Soumya Sarkar with Mahmdullah going not out at 19.

Scoreboard

BANGLADESH:

Tamim Iqbal run out 39

Mohammad Naim c Iftikhar b Shadab 43

Liton Das run out 12

Mahmudullah not out 19

Afif Hossain b Haris 9

Soumya Sarkar b Shaheen 7

Mohammad Mithun not out 5

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-4) 7

TOTAL (for five wkts, 20 overs) 141

FALL OF WKTS: 1-71, 2-98, 3-98, 4-119, 5-128.

DID NOT BAT: Aminul Islam, Shafiul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Al-Amin Hossain.

BOWLING: Imad Wasim 3-0-15-0 (1w); Shaheen Shah Afridi 4-0-23-1; Mohammad Hasnain 4-0-36-0; Haris Rauf 4-0-32-1 (1w); Shoaib Malik 1-0-6-0; Shadab Khan 4-0-26-1 (2w).

PAKISTAN:

Babar Azam c Liton b Shafiul 0

Ahsan Ali c sub b Aminul 36

Mohammad Hafeez c Aminul b Mustafizur 17

Shoaib Malik not out 58

Iftikhar Ahmed c Liton b Shafiul 16

Imad Wasim b Al-Amin 6

Mohammad Rizwan not out 5

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-3) 4

TOTAL (for five wkts, 19.3 overs) 142

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-35, 3-81, 4-117, 5-133.

DID NOT BAT: Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf.

BOWLING: Shafiul Islam 4-0-27-2 (2w); Mustafizur Rahman 4-0-40-1 (1w); Al-Amin Hossain 4-0-18-1; Soumya Sarkar 2.3-0-22-0; Aminul Islam 4-0-28-1; Afif Hossain 1-0-6-0.

RESULT: Pakistan won by five wickets to lead three-match series 1-0.

UMPIRES: Ahsan Raza (Pakistan) and Shozab Raza (Pakistan).

TV UMPIRE: Ahmed Shahab (Pakistan).

MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Shoaib Malik.

SECOND MATCH: Lahore, Saturday.

THIRD MATCH: Lahore, Monday.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2020