Pakistan’s quest for their first victory in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) was thwarted on Sunday as Bangladesh secured a 10-wicket win in the series opener in Rawalpindi. This victory marked Bangladesh’s first-ever Test win over Pakistan, either home or away. With this win, Bangladesh now leads 1-0 in the two-match series, with the final Test scheduled at the same venue from August 30.
Following the match, a video involving captain Shan Masood and star pacer Shaheen Afridi went viral, sparking speculation about tensions within the Pakistani cricket team. The video shows Shaheen removing Shan’s arms from his shoulders during a team huddle, which has fueled online discussions about team dynamics.
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When there is no unity!
There is no will!#PAKvsBAN pic.twitter.com/G4m2sjLyyC— Shaharyar Azhar (@azhar_shaharyar) August 25, 2024
This footage surfaced just a day after another video, showing Shan in a heated discussion with head coach Jason Gillespie, also circulated on social media.
In the match, Bangladesh’s spinners, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan, played crucial roles, taking seven wickets between them to secure Bangladesh’s historic win. Mehidy claimed 4-21 and Shakib 3-44, leading to Pakistan’s collapse on the fifth day as they were bowled out for 146 in 55.5 overs. Bangladesh needed just 30 runs to win, which openers Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam achieved in 6.3 overs.
Mohammad Rizwan was Pakistan’s top scorer in the second innings with 51 runs, but the team was struggling at 108-6 at lunch. Despite hopes from a holiday crowd of nearly 5,000 for a draw, Mehidy dismissed Rizwan and last man Mohammad Ali in consecutive overs. Zakir hit the winning boundary with Shadman unbeaten on nine, leading to a jubilant celebration for the Bangladesh team.