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Tanveer shines as Pakistan win easily

United Arab Emirates wicketkeeper Amjad Ali collides with the stumps while running out Bangladesh batsman Tamim Iqbal Khan during their Group A match in the Asia Cup at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan, on Tuesday. PHOTO: AFP

All-rounder Sohail Tanveer shone with both bat and ball to steer Pakistan to a 155-run win over Hong Kong in their Group B match in the Asia Cup at the National Stadium in Karachi on Tuesday.

Tanveer hit a 55-ball 59 and added an invaluable 100-run eighth wicket stand with Fawad Alam (63 not out) to lift Pakistan from 161-7, after left-arm spinner Nadeem Ahmed had hit the home team hard with a burst of four wickets.

Tanveer then took two for 20 to bundle the qualifiers out for 133 in 37.2 overs.

Hong Kong never seriously challenged the imposing target, with only skipper Tabarak Dar (24) and Zain Abbas (26 retired hurt) looking comfortable against a strong Pakistan bowling line-up.

Earlier, Younus Khan (67) and captain Shoaib Malik (35) had put Pakistan in a strong position, before Nadeem chipped in with four wickets off 21 balls in the space of 40 runs.

Nadeem, who finished with 4-51, was surprisingly kept away from the attack early on, allowing Alam and Tanveer to do their worst. Tanveer hit six boundaries before holing out in the 47th over.

Hong Kong's Hussain Butt is bowled by Pakistan bowler Rao Iftikhar during their Group B match in the Asia Cup at the National Cricket Stadium in Karachi, Pakistan, on Tuesday. PHOTO: AFP

Alam hit three boundaries during his steady knock and created a new eighth-wicket record in the Asia Cup, beating the 54 set by India batsmen Ajay Jadeja and Ajit Agarkar in Dhaka eight years ago.

Malik said the middle order collapse was not unique.

“It happens in cricket and at times you have to trust on the lower order. The situation was never out of hand and Alam and Tanveer doing well is a good sign for future,” Malik said.

Dar blamed lack of fitness for his team letting Pakistan off the hook.

“There were stages when we had an upper hand, but we lack match fitness and that allowed Pakistan to escape,” the Hong Kong captain said.

Pakistan, who beat India to lift the tri-series cup in Bangladesh on June 14, got off to a disastrous start here when opener Salman Butt edged Afzaal Haider to wicketkeeper Jamie Atkinson off the third delivery of the match.

Malik, who opened the innings, added 67 runs for the second wicket with Younus before he cut straight into the hands of the cover fielder off paceman Irfan Ahmed.

Nadeem then came into his own, breaking a 54-run third-wicket stand by removing Yousuf (28) and Younus in successive overs. He had Yousuf caught sweeping at square-leg and then lured Younus out of his crease for a stumping.

Nadeem, who made his debut as a 16-year-old against Pakistan in the Asia Cup four years ago, then trapped Misbah-ul Haq (2) and caught Shahid Afridi (4) off his own bowling to leave Pakistan reeling at 150-6.

Nadeem’s figures were the best by any Hong Kong bowler in their short three-match one-day international history, beating the previous best of 3-46 by Ilyas Gul against Bangladesh in the 2004 Asia Cup in Colombo.
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