Pakistan trounce Afghanistan by 72 runs

Hafeez took three wickets for 29.

FATULLAH: Pakistan defeated Afghanistan by 72 runs in its second Asia Cup match being played in Fatullah, Bangladesh, espncricinfo reported. 

Chasing the target of target 249 runs, Afghanistan were all out on 176 runs in 47.2 overs.

Noor Ali Zadran and Asghar Stanikzai were the highest scorer from Afghanistan, they made 44 and 40 runs respectively.

Mohammad Hafeez was the pick of the bowler from Pakistan, he took three wickets for 29 runs in his 9.2 overs. While Saeed Ajmal and Umar Gul took two wickets each.

Earlier, Pakistan cricket fans were once again in for a rude shock during their team’s second Asia Cup match being played in Fatullah, Bangladesh.

Newcomers Afghanistan ran through an insipid Pakistan top-order before Umar Akmal revived the innings with a hard fought century -- the second of his career.

Afghanistan won the toss and opted to bowl first. After a 55 run opening stand, the middle-order perished limply and the defending champions had crashed at 117 for six in the 30^th over of the innings before Akmal(102) and Anwar Ali(21) revived the innings with a 60 run stand for the seventh wicket.

Akmal pushed the accelerator in the closing stages of the innings. He reached his second ODI hundred in the last over of the innings where he pummelled 18 runs, and Pakistan reached 248 for 8 in the allotted overs, setting up a decent target for the minnows on a flat wicket.

The last three wickets more than doubled the runs accumulated by the main batsmen, who had all fallen at a series of tame scores. Ahmed Shehzad was the other main run-getter, scoring 50 off 74 balls.