Shakib steers Bangladesh to 175-6 against Pakistan

PALLEKELE: Allrounder Shakib Al Hasan smashed a 54-ball 84 to lift Bangladesh to 175-6 in the allotted 20 overs against Pakistan in their final league match of the ICC World Twenty20 Cricket 2012 here at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

PALLEKELE: Allrounder Shakib Al Hasan smashed a 54-ball 84 to lift Bangladesh to 175-6 in the allotted 20 overs against Pakistan in their final league match of the ICC World Twenty20 Cricket 2012 here at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

This was the 25-year-old left-hander’s second Twenty20 fifty as he added 68 runs for the third wicket with skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (25) after Bangladesh won the toss and decided to bat first.

But Bangladesh are still up against it as they must win by 36 runs to reach the Super Eights round alongside New Zealand, who are already qualified due to their superior net run-rate.

Shakib, whose previous T20 best of 57 came against Ireland at Belfast earlier this year, smashed 11 boundaries and two sixes during his 54-ball knock, improving Nazimuddin's previous best of 81, against Pakistan at Nairobi in 2007.

Pakistan were sloppy in the field, with Sohail Tanveer dropping a sitter off Rahim and Shahid Afridi failing to hold on to a sharp chance off Hasan -- both in one Yasir Arafat over.