Updated on
Summary
Pakistan has set a target of 173 runs for Bangladesh to win the T20 match. Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt batted beautifully both managing to score 73 runs each on a relatively slow track. Pakistan's opening stand of managed to score a record opening partnership of 142 runs. Earlier Pakistan elects to bat first after winning the toss. Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi told his reigning World T20 champions to take Bangladesh as seriously as Australia. In other matches, India will defeated Afghanistan by 7 wickets. On the opening day, New Zealand and West Indies remained successful teams. Pakistan wrap up their Group A engagements against Australia on Sunday. With the top two teams in each of the four groups going through to the Super Eights, both Pakistan and Australia are expected to qualify. However, Afridi told the ICC podcast on Thursday: Playing in this cricket, anything can happen. Its about what happens on the day. I want to see the same body language whether we are playing Bangladesh or Australia. Pakistan remains a formidable side and Bangladesh will have to play out of their skin to beat them. With just three wins -- against Kenya, Zimbabwe and the West Indies -- out of their 14 Twenty20 internationals in 2006 and 2007, Bangladesh don't have anything to show.
