PALMERSTON NORTH, New Zealand, CMC – West Indies Under-19s are through to the quarter-finals of the ICC Under-19 World Cup after Pakistan dramatically edged Bangladesh by four wickets in a tense Group D match yesterday.
Pakistan’s thrilling victory off the game’s penultimate ball confirmed them as group winners with maximum six points and relegated Bangladesh (2) to third with West Indies (4) finishing runners-up.
West Indies U19s will play their quarter-final on Saturday against the winners of today’s last preliminary Group A match between England and India.
Needing a victory that would have qualified them for a quarter-final spot, Bangladesh scored 250 for five off 50 overs and were beaten by a terrific late innings batting explosion from Pakistan, who snatched victory at 251 for six off 49.5 overs at Fitzherbert Park.
A Bangladesh win would have produced a three-way tie – on four points — at the top of the standings and in all probability eliminate the young Windies, whose net run-rate is the weakest of the three teams.
Captain Mahmudul Hasan had top-scored for Bangladesh with a well measured 63 off 64 balls with nine boundaries after he won the toss and chose to bat first.
Wicket-keeper/batsman Anamul Haque scored 55 and added 92 for the first wicket with Amit Majumder (36).
Mominul Haque (35) and Shabbir Rahman, with an unbeaten 34, also scored well for Bangladesh.
Usman Qadir, son of Pakistan spin legend Abdul Qadir, took two for 44 to lead his side’s bowling.
Set 251 for victory, Pakistan’s start was solid — but behind the required run-rate — as man of the match Babar Azam (91) and Ahmed Shehzad (52) posted a 104-run opening stand.
A middle-order collapse and sluggish run-rate then swung the game in Bangladesh’s favour and Pakistan seemed beaten when, with a mere two overs remaining, they needed a daunting 39 and victory seemed beyond them.
But debutant Mohammad Waqas amazingly ignited the former champions with a blistering 34 not out off 14 balls with three fours and two sixes to engineer a stunning result.
Hammad Azam belted 27 not out off 22 balls and his unbeaten 52-run stand with Waqas fashioned the spectacular victory with one ball to spare that also led to merriment in the West Indies camp.
Pakistan’s captain Azeem Ghumman praised Waqas for setting up the “incredible” victory.
“We thought we might be losing the game … but Waqas kept telling me that he was confident that he could score the runs,” Ghumman said.
“It was incredible – it turned from the impossible to the possible. Waqas really played well, the guy was confident and he showed it. It was the best debut by anyone,” Ghumman added.
