Bashar Leads Bangladesh Fightback in Karachi Test

KARACHI, 23 August 2003 — Habibul Bashar scored 82 runs as Bangladesh provided Pakistan with some unexpected resistance to grind to a 105-run lead with seven second innings wickets in hand after the third day of the first Test here yesterday.

Bashar helped Bangladesh to 163 for three after they had bowled Pakistan out for 346 in the morning, having added just 45 runs to their overnight score of 301 for five. Mohammad Rafique and Mashrafe Mortaza ended with three wickets apiece after the home side failed to capitalize on a blistering 170 from Yasir Hameed on his test debut on Thursday.

Pakistan captain Rashid Latif was 54 not out as he ran out of partners. The home side had a lead of just 58 runs on Bangladesh’s first innings of 288. Bashar, who scored 71 in the first innings, made Pakistan play dearly for a dropped catch at second slip by Yasir Hameed.

He shared partnerships of 54 with Hannan Sarkar (30) and an unbeaten 80 with debutant Rajih Saleh (27) to boost the innings.

Earlier, the Bangladesh bowlers stayed disciplined on a slow track and chipped away at the innings for close to two hours in the morning session. Their discipline continued when they came out to bat with 30 minutes remaining before lunch with a fired-up Shoaib Akhtar bowling a series of quick short-pitched deliveries.

While Akhtar looked threatening in five spells spanning over 15 overs he managed only one wicket, trapping opener Javed Omer leg before immediately after lunch when Bangladesh were on 11.

Sarkar and Baisul then combined for their partnership before Sarkar was leg before to part-time spinner Mohammad Hafeez while attempting an extravagant sweep shot.

Bangladesh went to tea at 77 for two but lost Sanwar Hossain just 19 minutes into the final session when he was given leg before to Shabbir Ahmed to leave Bangladesh 83 for three.

But Bashar, who reached his half century from 86 balls with four boundaries, and Saleh, who ground out 27 from 94 balls, then steadied the innings and went through to the close.

Warne Stance Gives Aussie Officials Way Out

Leg-spinner Shane Warne, meanwhile, has saved Australian Cricket’s (CA) governing body from making a difficult decision on whether he could train with official teams while serving a one-year drugs ban. Warne said in Melbourne yesterday he would no longer practice with his Australian, Victorian or club teammates until his suspension expired in mid-February.

The Australian government had threatened to withdraw one million dollars ($650,000) in funding to the administrative body unless it prevented Warne from training while under sanctions. The government’s position was that practicing was tantamount to receiving “assistance,” prohibited under the terms of CA’s anti-doping policy.

CA chief executive James Sutherland would not comment on why it had taken six months to clarify the terms of Warne’s ban for taking a prohibited diuretic. Sutherland did, however, agree that Warne’s stance “had taken the immediacy out of the issue” from CA’s point of view. “It’s a matter for Shane to consider — he’s obviously weighed that up,” Sutherland said yesterday. “CA hasn’t had any involvement in his decision making. From what I understand, he has personal issues that he wants to work through and that was really what his focus was.”