PAK vs BAN: Pakistan Shaheens begin Top End T20 Series with 79-run win

DARWIN: Pakistan Shaheens opened their Top End T20 Series campaign with a 79-run victory over Bangladesh ‘A’ (PAK vs BAN) in a match played at the TIO stadium.

Batting first, Pakistan Shaheens scored 227 runs for four wickets in their allotted 20 overs. The innings was anchored by a strong opening partnership that laid down the groundwork for the eventual victory.

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Khawaja Mohammad Nafay and Yasir Khan compiled a 118-run partnership, playing in a patient yet aggressive manner to put the pressure on Bangladesh A bowlers.

Nafay scored 61 runs off 31 balls, while Yasir made 62 off 40.

Once the openers were dismissed, the middle order accelerated the innings. Abdul Samad scored a half-century (56) not out from 27 balls. The highlight of his batting spell was when he struck three 6s, energising the crowd and putting pressure on the Bangladesh bowlers.

Mohammad Faiq and captain Muhammad Irfan Khan contributed, as well, with the latter adding a quick 25 off 12 balls near the innings’ end.  This helped push the total beyond 220 and presented Bangladesh A with a difficult target.

Bangladesh A struggles

Bangladesh A faced immediate pressure as they lost early wickets, including opener Mohammad Naim, who fell to Ubaid Shah for 5.

A partnership between Jishan Alam, who scored 33 off 17 balls, temporarily steadied the innings.

However, the visitors struggled to maintain momentum as Pakistan’s bowlers applied consistent pressure.

Spinner Faisal Akram and pacer Saad Masoon were key to restricting Bangladesh’s chase, sharing three wickets apiece.

Mohammad Wasim Jr chipped in with two wickets, as well.

Important breakthroughs at regular intervals prevented Bangladesh A from building significant runs and ultimately undermined their target chase.

The team was bowled out for 148 in 16.5 overs, well short of the total.

PAK vs BAN bowling performance summary

Player	Overs	Runs Conceded	Wickets
Faisal Akram	3	19	3
Saad Masood	3.5	30	3
Mohammad Wasim	4	33	2

On-field Incident

During Pakistan’s innings, a mix-up between Khawaja Nafay and Yasir Khan resulted in the former being run out. This led to a brief verbal exchange between the two batters on the field.

Despite the momentary tensions, the incident did not affect the overall flow or performance of the team.

Outlook and next matches

Following the PAK vs BAN match, the Shaheens are scheduled to take on Perth Scorchers Academy.

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Their group stage matches also include games against Melbourne Renegades, Brisbane Kingsmen, Adelaid Strikers, and Nepal.

The tournament will advance to the knockout stages later in the month, with semi-finals and the final planned.