Bang, Bang ... BANG!

Pakistan suffer 3-0 whitewash after an eight-wicket loss in the third ODI.

KARACHI:

With Pakistan cricket hitting a new low in history after being whitewashed 3-0 by Bangladesh, former skipper Rashid Latif has urged the government to step in and bring radical changes within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Bangladesh’s opening batsman Soumya Sarkar hit a maiden one-day century as the hosts thrashed woeful Pakistan by eight wickets in Dhaka on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old left-hander smashed an unbeaten 127 as the fired-up hosts surpassed Pakistan’s modest 250 all out in the 40th over at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium.

Pakistan captain Azhar Ali’s 101 made no difference to his team’s fortunes after Bangladesh had won the first match by 79 runs and the second by seven wickets.

It was the first series whitewash by the Tigers against an Asian Test-playing nation.

Latif, who played 37 Tests and 166 ODIs for Pakistan between 1992 and 2003, stressed that an ad-hoc system needed to be put in place with the right people being appointed to steer the country’s cricket out of its slumber.

“Pakistan cricket doesn’t only need changes in the team but also in the PCB, if the government is serious about saving the game,” emphasised Latif while speaking to The Express Tribune.

“It’s not only [head coach] Waqar Younis, the players or other coaches who are responsible; the whole system should be held accountable. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should put in place an ad-hoc system. Pakistan have just been whitewashed by Bangladesh, and it’s one of the darkest days in the history of Pakistan cricket.”

Bangladesh on cloud nine

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza said he was delighted at the way the team had shaped up in the past few months and hoped to continue the good work in future.



“This is a good team we have and I am really happy the way we are playing,” he said.

The two teams will play a one-off T20I on Friday before starting a two-Test series from April 28.

The win was never in doubt after Sarkar, who hit 13 boundaries and six sixes in his 110-ball innings, put on 145 for the first wicket with Tamim Iqbal.

Tamim missed a third consecutive hundred when he was leg-before to Junaid Khan.

The left-arm seamer also bowled Mohammad Mahmudullah in his next over, but Mushfiqur Rahim (49 not out) ensured victory with an unbroken stand of 97 for the third wicket with Sarkar.

Pakistan were left to rue a dramatic collapse when they lost eight wickets for 47 runs after Azhar’s century had lifted them to a comfortable 203-2 in the 39th over.

Shakib Al Hasan, Mortaza, Arafat Sunny and Rubel Hossain claimed two wickets each as Bangladesh clawed their way back after wayward bowling earlier in the innings.

Azhar led from the front to become the first Pakistani captain in five years to score an ODI ton following Shahid Afridi’s 124 against Bangladesh in 2010.

He heaped praise on Bangladesh for outplaying his young team that included just four players from the World Cup. “I would like to congratulate Bangladesh because they played very good cricket,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 23^rd,  2015.

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