U19 Asia Cup: Bangladesh skittles Pakistan for 116 in first semifinal
Bangladesh bowled Pakistan out for just 116 runs in the first semifinal of the ACC U19 Asia Cup in Dubai. Pakistan’s batting struggled from the start, and they never managed to recover.
After being asked to bat first, Pakistan lost both openers, Usman Khan and Shahzaib Khan, without scoring, leaving them at 7/2 in the first three overs. Mohammad Riazullah and captain Saad Baig tried to rebuild the innings with a 42-run partnership for the third wicket. However, Saad’s dismissal for 18 off 41 balls triggered a collapse, and Pakistan was soon at 49/3 in the 15th over.
Naveed Ahmed Khan joined Riazullah but was run out for just two runs, making the score 53/4. Riazullah fought hard, scoring 28 off 65 balls, but wickets kept falling. Haroon Arshad added a tough 10 off 30 balls before being dismissed.
A brief recovery came from a 34-run partnership between Farhan Yousaf and Faham ul Haq. Farhan’s quick 32 off 32 balls gave Pakistan some hope, but his dismissal ended their resistance. The tail failed to contribute, and Pakistan was bowled out, with Faham remaining not out on 8 off 39 balls.
Iqbal Hossain Emon was the star bowler for Bangladesh, taking 4 wickets for 24 runs in 7 overs. Maruf Mridha picked up two wickets, while Al Fahad and Debasish Deba each took one. Bangladesh’s bowlers put on a clinical performance to dismiss Pakistan for a low total.
