West Indies demolish hosts Bangladesh

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim opted to field first against West Indies who scored 171-7 in the 20 overs.

Defending champions West Indies, who lost to India by seven wickets on Sunday, needed a win to remain in contention for a place in the semi-finals.

Smith, the man of the match, led the charge on Bangladesh with an onslaught from one side, while Chris Gayle, a silent spectator on the other, ended up scoring 48 runs off 48 balls.

Bangladesh, who were determined to open their World Twenty20 account with a win against the West Indies, were not at par in terms of batting performance with Mushfiqur Rahim being the top scorer with 22 runs.

Bangladesh, who dropped a few catches in the field saw some spectacular fielding from Windies, who grabbed some near impossible catches to dismiss the Bangladesh batsmen.

Samuel Badri was the pick of bowlers, as he gave away only 15 runs in his four overs and accounted for four batsmen.


Babar looking to continue momentum

Pakistan spin bowler Zulfiqar Babar, who played a key role in victory over Australia on Sunday, is eager to continue his form in the remaining matches. The left arm-spinner, who provided two crucial wickets in his first World Twenty20 match, credited captain Mohammad Hafeez for giving him confidence.

“Hafeez helped me a lot,” said the spinner.

“He is very supportive because he motivates his bowlers in difficult situations.

“I am looking forward to playing a major role for the team.”

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Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2014.