Salman, Sahibzada star as Pakistan avoid Bangladesh whitewash
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DHAKA: Paceman Salman Mirza grabbed three wickets and opener Sahibzada Farhan struck an aggressive fifty in Pakistan’s consolation 74-run win in the third T20 on Thursday as Bangladesh took the series 2-1.
Salman, playing only his third international, demolished Bangladesh’s top order with figures of 3-19 as the home team was bowled out for 104 in 16.4 overs in Dhaka.
Sahibzada’s 41-ball 63 studded with five sixes and six fours got Pakistan off to a strong start and Hasan Nawaz clubbed 33 off 17 balls to help them to 178-7 after they were sent in to bat.
Salman struck with the second ball of the innings, dismissing Tanzid Hassan caught behind for nought which triggered a batting collapse. Only Mohammad Saifuddin contributed a score of note as he made an unbeaten 35.
Seamer Faheem Ashraf took 2-13 and Mohammad Nawaz wrapped up the win with the final two wickets.
“Very proud today, this is what we talked about as a team, no matter what situation we are in, we want to show character,” said Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha.
“The way Sahibzada batted was outstanding, heartening and pleasing to see, Saim [Ayub] as well. In the first six overs they put us ahead. Hasan batted really well and Nawaz played an outstanding cameo. Salman was outstanding, took wickets upfront, very happy with him.”
Bangladesh skipper Litton Das praised his’s team effort in the series win.
“We played some good cricket and it’s great to win a series against Pakistan,” said Litton, who also led the team to a T20 series win in Sri Lanka last week.
Having already won their first-ever T20 series against Pakistan with victories in the first two matches, Bangladesh rested five of their main players including spearhead Mustafizur Rahman.
Pakistan had scored 110 and 125 in the first two matches — also in Dhaka — losing by seven wickets and eight runs respectively.
Sahibzada, who replaced Fakhar Zaman as one of two changes for Pakistan, put on 82 for the opening stand with Saim (21).
“I am happy because the team won,” player-of-the-match Sahibzada said. “I played according to the plan and targeted the off spin as decided. I told Saim not to worry and leave power hitting to me.”
Sahibzada raised his fifty from 29 balls, pushing a fuller length delivery of off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz toward mid-on for single.
Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed who claimed 2-22, broke through with the wicket of Saim who made 15 ball-21 and then dismissed Sahibzada who holed out to midwicket after trying for a slog-sweep six.
Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed, who was erratic in his first spell, came back to dismiss Mohammad Haris and led the middle overs bowling to stifle Pakistan.
Hasan broke the deadlock with flurry of sixes before pacer Shoriful Islam baffled him with slower to end his innings.
Nawaz chipped in with 27 off 16 balls down the order to help Pakistan add 46 runs in the last five overs.
Taskin took two wickets in the last over to finish with 3-38.
Bangladesh’s chase never took off with six of their top seven batters out for single-digit figures, leaving the side at danger being all out for their lowest ever T20 total.
Within just 4.4 overs, the top order had crumbled — five wickets down for a mere 25 runs. The collapse continued as Bangladesh slumped to 41-7 before eight overs had been completed.
Saifuddin helped Bangladesh take past their lowest score of 70 against West Indies in 2016 and eventually 100. Mohammad Naim (10) was the only other Bangladesh batsman to reach double figures.
SCOREBOARD
PAKISTAN:
Sahibzada Farhan c Mahedi b Nasum 63
Saim Ayub c Shamim b Nasum 21
Mohammad Haris c Nasum b Taskin 5
Hassan Nawaz c Mahedi b Shoriful 33
Salman Ali Agha not out 12
Hussain Talat c Liton b Saifuddin 1
Mohammad Nawaz c Naim b Taskin 27
Faheem Ashraf c Tanzid b Taskin 4
Abbas Afridi not out 1
EXTRAS (LB-1, NB-1, W-9) 11
TOTAL (for seven wickets, 20 overs) 178
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-82 (Saim), 2-93 (Sahibzada), 3-115 (Haris), 4-131 (Hassan)), 5-132 (Talat), 6-173 (Nawaz), 7-177 (Faheem)
DID NOT BAT: Ahmed Daniyal, Salman Mirza
BOWLING: Mahedi 3-0-36-0 (1w), Shoriful 4-0-39-1 (1w), Taskin 4-0-38-3, Nasum 4-0-22-2, Saifuddin 4-0-28-1 (3w, 1nb), Mehidy 1-0-14-0
BANGLADESH:
Tanzid Hasan c Haris b Mirza 0
Mohammad Naim c Salman b Ahmed 10
Liton Das b Faheem 8
Mehidy Hasan c Abbas b Faheem 10
Jaker Ali b Mirza 1
Mahedi Hasan b Mirza 0
Shamim Hossain b Salman 5
Mohammad Saifuddin not out 35
Nasum Ahmed c Ahmed b Hussain 9
Taskin Ahmed c Hussain b Nawaz 7
Shoriful Islam c Abbas b Nawaz 7
EXTRAS (LB-5, NB-3, W-4) 12
TOTAL (all out, 16.4 overs) 104
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-0 (Tanzid), 2-10 (Liton), 3-22 (Mehidy), 4-25 (Jaker), 5-25 (Mahedi), 6-34 (Shamim), 7-41 (Naim), 8-65 (Nasum), 9-81 (Taskin)
BOWLING: Mirza 4-0-20-3 (2w), Faheem 2-0-13-2 (1nb), Ahmed 3-0-16-1 (1w), Salman 2-0-12-1, Saim 1-0-2-0, Hussain 3-0-32-1 (2nb), Nawaz 1.4-0-4-2 (1w)
RESULT: Pakistan won by 74 runs.
PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Sahibzada Farhan
SERIES: Bangladesh won the three-match series 2-1.
PLAYER-OF-THE-SERIES: Jaker Ali
Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2025
