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Dhaka: After a fiery show with bat, Umar Gul finished with 3/58 to clinch a thrilling victory for Pakistan over Bangladesh in the Asia Cup opener at Mirpur on Sunday.
Chaisng 263 to win, Bangladesh were bundled out for 241, conceding an easy 21 run-victory to Pakistan.
Aizaz Cheema gave Bangladesh first blow as he dismissed dangerous Nazimuddin after Pakistan set 263-run target in the Asia Cup opener on Sunday.
Nazimuddin scored a fiery 30, studded with four boundaries and a dazzling six, before being caught by Umar Gul off Cheema.
Jahurul Islam and Iqbal then consolidated the innings. However, Shahid Afridi bowled out Jahurl Islam and Mushfiqur Rahim in successive overs to peg back Bangladesh.
Earlier, Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed struck half centuries before Umar Gul's hefty blows towards the end lifted Pakistan to 262 for eight.
Hafeez (89 off 126 balls) and Jamshed (54 off 64) laid the foundation by putting on 135 runs for the first wicket in just 28 overs, but Shahdat Hossain (3/53) and Shakib Al Hasan (2/41) struck at crucial moments to help the hosts fight back into the match.
But Gul, somewhat, spoilt Bangladesh's plans with a brisk 39 off 25 balls.
Hoping that the pitch at the Shere Bangla National Stadium would offer some assistance to his seamers early on, Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim elected to field after the coin landed in his favour.
Things, however, didn't pan out the way Mushfiqur had hoped for as the two openers gave Pakistan a perfect launchpad. Both were not flashy but effective nevertheless.
Jamshed was the more aggressive of the two as he found the fence five times, besides hitting a six.
Hafeez was content to rotate the strike while hitting the occasional boundaries.
Bangladesh then made a spirited fightback and the breakthrough they needed, came in the form of Jamshed's wicket in the 28th over, when Mushfiqur ran the batsman out after receiving a throw from Shakib.
Living up to the tag of being an unpredictable side, Pakistan suffered a collapse and, from 160 for two in the 33rd over, they were struggling at 198 for seven.
Even as the middle-order, which has the experienced Younis Khan and the talented Umar Akmal, failed miserably, Gul provided the much-needed thrust down the order to help Pakistan post a challenging total.
Gul, who struck five fours and a six, found an ally in Sarfraz Ahmed (19 off 28), and the two added 53 crucial runs for the eighth wicket
Brief scores
Pakistan 262 for 8 (Mohammad Hafeez 89, Nasir Jamshed 54, Shahadat Hossain 3-53)
Bangladesh 241 (Shakib Al Hasan 64, Tamim Iqbal 64, Umar Gul 3-58)
Result Pakistan won by 21 runs
Points Pakistan 4, Bangladesh 0
MOM Mohammad Hafeez (Pakistan)
