Bangladesh's Nasir Hossain, right, scored a century that won praise from Mushfiqur Rahim, his captain.
Bangladesh's Nasir Hossain, right, scored a century that won praise from Mushfiqur Rahim, his captain.

Nasir Hossain's maiden ton not enough for the losing hosts



A ruthless Pakistan side drubbed Bangladesh by 76 runs in the second one-day international in Dhaka on Saturday to take a decisive 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Umar Akmal scored 59, and Shahid Afridi hit 42 off 27 balls, as Pakistan piled up 262 for seven after they won the toss and elected to bat in the day-night match at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium.

The total proved beyond Bangladesh's reach after they were reduced to 19 for four in the 10th over, and managed only 186 for seven despite a maiden international century from Nasir Hossain.

Nasir cracked 100 and Shakib Al Hasan made 34, the pair sharing a fifth-wicket stand of 106 runs, but Bangladesh were never in the hunt against the tight Pakistani bowling. Nasir, 20, playing only his ninth one-dayer, plundered 11 boundaries and a six before he was dismissed in the final over.

Seamer Umar Gul finished with four for 36, while off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez conceded 15 runs in his 10 overs with two wickets.

Mushfiqur Rahim, the Bangladesh captain, saluted Nasir's effort, saying the youngster showed his teammates how to compile an innings.

"I am very disappointed [with] the way we played, but Nasir deserves a lot of praise," said Rahim. "He showed us how to bat on this pitch. But it's time we start playing as a team. Everyone has to contribute."

Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, said the win proved his team was becoming formidable. "It's really pleasing that the guys are doing such a good job," he said. "It was a big enough total because it was not the best wicket to bat on."

Pakistan's 27th win over the Tigers in 28 one-dayers has left only academic interest in the third and final match to be played in the port city of Chittagong on Tuesday.

The one-dayers will be followed by two Test matches. Pakistan had won the Twenty20 international by 50 runs and the first one-dayer by five wickets at the same venue.

Hafeez, who opened Pakistan's attack, removed Imrul Kayes and Shahriar Nafees in successive overs after Gul had dismissed the aggressive Tamim Iqbal in his second over.

Gul also had Rahim caught at gully, before Nasir and Shakib delayed the inevitable with their century partnership.

Pakistan's innings revolved around a fourth-wicket stand of 83 between Akmal and Misbah (37), before Afridi smashed two sixes and three boundaries towards the end to boost the total.

Tips on buying property during a pandemic

Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.

While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.

While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar. 

Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.

Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.

Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities. 

Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong. 

Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.

The Kites

Romain Gary

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