Pakistan Under-19 brought an end to Bangladesh’s quest for a third consecutive title with a commanding eight-wicket victory in the rain-affected semifinal of the U-19 Asia Cup at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai on Friday.
Asked to bat first in the curtailed 27-over contest, Bangladesh struggled from the outset and were bowled out for 121 with three balls remaining. The innings never gathered momentum after opener Rifat Beg fell for 14 off 16 balls with 24 runs on the board. Fellow opener and in-form batter Zawad Abrar departed soon after for 9, leaving Bangladesh under pressure early.
Captain Azizul Hakim Tamim attempted to steady the innings from number three but could manage only 20 off 26 deliveries. The middle order failed to offer resistance, as Kalam Siddiki (8 off 23), Md Abdullah (5 off 9), Sheikh Parvez Jibon (9 off 5) and Farid Hasan (7 off 23) all fell cheaply.
Samiun Basir, batting at number eight, was the lone bright spot for Bangladesh, striking a boundary and a six in a fighting knock of 33 off 37 balls — the highest score of the innings. The tail, however, could not add much, with Md Sobuj (2 off 5), Saad Islam (0 off 2) and Iqbal Hossain Emon (unbeaten 1 off 2) contributing little as Bangladesh were dismissed for 121.
Pakistan’s bowling attack was led superbly by Abdul Subhan, who returned impressive figures of 4 for 20. Huzaifa Ahsan claimed two wickets, while Ali Raza, Mohammad Sayyam and Ahmed Hussain picked up one apiece.
Defending a modest total, Bangladesh needed early breakthroughs, but Pakistan approached the chase with composure. Sameer Minhas anchored the innings with a fluent unbeaten 69 off 57 balls, ensuring there were no late hiccups. Iqbal Hossain Emon and Samiun Basir picked up one wicket each, but Pakistan cruised to 122 for 2 in just 16.3 overs.
With the victory, Pakistan booked a place in the final, where they will face India on December 21 at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai. India advanced to the title clash after defeating Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the other semifinal.
Bd-pratidin English/TR
