Riding on an unbeaten knock of 58 from Shoaib Malik, Pakistan beat Bangladesh by five wickets in the first T20I of the three-match series at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Shoaib helped Pakistan chase down a target of 142 runs with three balls to spare and became the Man of the Match. His knock included 5 fours.
Opting to bat first on the slow surface in Lahore, Bangladesh could manage 141 for 5 in 20 overs. Openers Tamim Iqbal (39) and Mohammad Naim (43), who were the highest run-getters for the side, stitched 71 runs together. But once the partnership was broken, the guests tumbled and skipper Mahmudullah’s 19 runs off 14 balls towards the end gave them a decent total.
A similarly slow chase ensued after a false start for Pakistan in which they lost their captain Babar Azam off the second ball of the innings bowled by Shafiul Islam. Bangladesh were in fact in with a chance for much of the first half of the Pakistan innings. Shoaib, however, dug in his heels to take Pakistan home.
For Pakistan, Shaheen Shah Afridi was the pick of the bowlers, giving away just 23 runs in four overs and taking the wicket of Soumya Sarkar. Meanwhile, Shafiul Islam was the highest wicket taker for Bangladesh with his two scalps.
The second T20I between the sides will be played in Lahore on Saturday.