KARACHI, 21 August 2003 — Bangladesh batted stubbornly to reach 278 for nine on day one of the first Test against Pakistan yesterday — but ended up disappointed not to progress further.

After being put into bat by a new-look Pakistan side playing their first match on home soil in more than a year, Habibul Bashar made 71, Hannan Sarkar 41 and Alok Kapali 46 before bad light ended play early.

Pakistan’s bowlers, however, did hit back in the afternoon after Bashar and Sarkar had taken their team to 123 for one. They put on a 114-run second-wicket stand after opener Javed Omar fell for one in the fourth over to debutant Umar Gul, who flattened his stumps with the total on just nine.

It was Bangladesh’s first century stand against Pakistan in four tests and the pair’s second in successive tests after their 108 against Australia in Cairns last month.

Bashar showed his liking for the Pakistan bowling by scoring his fourth half century against them and the 13th of his career. But just as at Cairns, the rest of the Bangladeshi batsmen squandered a good start.

Bangladesh lost four wickets for 53 runs between lunch and tea then collapsed to 278-9 before bad light ended play with seven overs remaining.

Sarkar and Bashar were both themselves at fault for playing poor shots when they appeared settled.

Sarkar was caught behind from a loose pull shot after 146 minutes and 107 balls and three balls later Bashar tried to swat Shoaib Akhtar over cover, only to be caught by Mohammad Hafeez.

Until then, Bashar, the only Bangladeshi batsman to score more than 1,000 Test runs, had taken on the Pakistani bowlers with aplomb and some fine drives.

The inexperienced Pakistan attack fought back after breaking the partnership and only dour resistance from Kapali and Khaled Mashud (19), who put on 55 for the sixth wicket, prevented the visitors from being bowled out before the close.

Danish Kaneria, the young leg spinner who has been a regular scourge of Bangladeshi batsmen, took three wickets to boost his tally in four Tests against Bangladesh to 28. Pacers Akhtar and debutants Umar Gul and Shabbir Ahmed took two each.

Pakistan fielded four debutants, including batsmen Mohammad Hafeez and Yasir Hameed, while Bangladesh awarded a first cap to 19-year-old Rajin Saleh, who did not disappoint with a gutsy 26.

Bashar said the performance showed the team had started to respond to new coach Dav Whatmore.

“He has made a difference to our attitude and approach to the game,” he said. “I think the team is on the road to improvement.”

Bashar said the pitch had not been difficult even though the ball did seam around and kept low at times.

“There is nothing wrong with the pitch. I am just disappointed that the other batsmen didn’t bat well enough. I think we should have been five down at close today for the same total but we lost too many wickets due to poor selection of shots.”

Apart from Bashar’s innings, Pakistan had to contend with an injury to captain Rashid Latif in the 71st over, when a low bounce ball hit him on his index finger, forcing him to leave the field and Taufiq Umar to take over behind the stumps.

Indian Board Asks ICC

for World Cup Money

Meanwhile, India’s cricket board has demanded the International Cricket Council (ICC) pay them $6.5 million World Cup appearance money withheld due to a player contracts dispute. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had launched an inquiry into what it described as “inadequate marketing” by the Global Cricket Corporation (GCC), the ICC’s commercial partner for the tournament held this year in South Africa.

The GCC had asked the ICC to pay $47 million to compensate for loss of revenue after Indian players, many of whom enjoy lucrative personal endorsements, only signed altered agreements for this year’s World Cup to protect their individual deals.

It also withheld money from England and New Zealand who boycotted matches over security fears and Sri Lanka whose players signed their contracts late. The GCC has a $550 million rights deal for ICC events until 2007. India’s share of 2003 World Cup revenue would have been between around $8-9 million but they say they are still owed $6.5 million of that which the ICC are withholding until their dispute with GCC is settled.

“We have asked the ICC to release the money due to us since we have concluded that the claim made by GCC was exaggerated and based on flimsy ground,” BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya said in Madras yesterday.

The BCCI, which has been in regular communication with the ICC over the issue, found support from the world body. “The ICC is standing firm against the $47 million claim by its commercial partner, GCC, after its investigations identified that many of the allegations made by GCC’s marketing agent World Sport Nimbus (WSN) lacked substance,” the ICC said in a statement from London on Tuesday.

It said information provided by the BCCI had highlighted that several aspects of the GCC claim needed to be “properly investigated”. But the GCC said it stood by its claim. “The GCC is satisfied its claim for the compensation against the ICC is based on accurate and reasonable grounds,” the GCC said in a press release from Singapore.