PESHAWAR, 31 August 2003 — Express pacer Shoaib Akhtar wrecked Bangladesh with his maiden 10-wicket haul to help Pakistan win the second Test by nine wickets and wrap up their first home series win in five years here yesterday.
Shoaib, who took 10-80 in the match, finished with 4-30 to skittle Bangladesh out for a paltry 96 in their second innings and pave the way for another easy win.
Pakistan needed 163 to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series and achieved the target with opener Mohammad Hafeez hitting an unbeaten 102.
Hafeez and Taufeeq Umer put on a solid 140 for the first wicket before Umer went for 43. But Yasir Hameed made 18 and hit the winning boundary midway through the last session.
Hafeez reached his maiden hundred in his second Test with a sweetly timed glide for his 11th boundary, and also hit a six.
Pakistan, rebuilding the team after their disastrous first round exit from the World Cup in March this year, last won a series on home grounds against the West Indies in 1997-98 before they lost series to Australia, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and England.
“This is tremendous to lead the side for the first series win on home grounds in five years and I am happy this young team is progressing well,” said captain Rashid Latif. “They (Bangladesh) played very well and on the first day they dominated us,” he said.
Despite losing 22 of their 23 Tests since gaining Test status, Bangladesh can boast of another improved show as they took a first innings lead for the first time. However they went on to another batting flop in the second innings.
“We batted very well and in the first two days and thought we could win but we threw away the advantage with poor batting in the second innings,” disappointed captain Khaled Mahmud said.
In the end the visitors failed to handle the fiery pace of Shoaib, who was egged on by a handsome crowd of nearly 12,000. Shoaib, declared man of the match, said he was happy over his lead role in the win.
“I am happy I fulfilled the responsibility reposed in me and played my part in this win,” said Shoaib, who will miss the third Test to complete his contract with Durham county in England.
Resuming at 52-4, the tourists negotiated the first nine overs with caution before a Shoaib double-strike started the wicket slide. Shoaib’s wrath and venom were too much for the tourists, who lost their last six wickets off 45 balls with the addition of 32 runs.
The 28-year-old Shoaib started the wicket slide by trapping Razin Saleh for six, reaching his 100 wickets in his 27th Test, and followed up with Khaled Mashud leg before with the very next ball.
Mashud, a former captain, bagged a pair in the Test. Shoaib finished with 10-80 in the match and is the 11th Pakistani bowler to have taken 100 or more wickets in Test cricket. The Bangladesh skipper missed a straighter one from leg-spinner Danish Kaneria to leave Bangladesh reeling at 7-65. Alok Kapali, who recorded Bangladesh’s first ever hat trick on Friday, edged Shabbir Ahmed for Rashid Latif to take a straight forward catch after making 16, the second best score of the innings.
Mashrafe Murtaza and Mohammad Rafique took Bangladesh past their lowest Test total of 87, made against the West Indies last year, before Umar Gul took the last two wickets to fold the innings and finished with 3-16. Pakistan won last week’s first Test in Karachi by seven wickets. The final Test starts in Multan from Sept. 3.
Pakistan selectors yesterday recalled experienced off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq for the final Test. The wily spinner missed the first two Tests to honor his commitments with English county Surrey.
Besides Saqlain Mushtaq, the selectors also named middle-order batsman Younis Khan and three uncapped players, Salman Butt, Yasir Ali and Asim Kamal. Off-spinning allrounder Shoaib Malik and batsmen Misbah-ul-Haq and Saeed bin Nasir were excluded from the 16-man squad.
Squad:
Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Yasir Hameed, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Younis Khan, Rashid Latif (wicketkeeper) (captain), Saqlain Mushtaq, Shabbir Ahmad, Umar Gul, Danish Kaneria, Farhan Adil, Salman Butt, Yasir Ali, Asim Kamal and Mohammad Khalil.
