Bangladesh HP Team’s struggles continue in Australia with another loss
The BCB High Performance (HP) team continue to struggle in the Top End Series in Australia, falling to Pakistan ‘A’ by 3 wickets despite a commendable effort by the bowlers after setting a modest target of 142 runs.
The match, held in Darwin, saw Pakistan ‘A’ nearly collapse during their chase, slipping from 111 for 3 to 124 for 7.However, an eighth-wicket stand between Irfan Khan and Jahandad Khan, adding 20 runs, secured Pakistan’s victory with just 7 balls remaining.
Bangladesh’s batting lineup crumbled early, with key players like Tanzid Hasan, Zishan Alam, and experienced figures such as Afif Hossain and Akbar Ali all failing to make significant contributions.
Afif’s poor form has been evident throughout the tournament, as he has yet to score more than 17 runs in any of his five matches.
Despite the top-order collapse, the HP team managed to reach 141 runs, thanks to an unbeaten partnership of 83 runs between Shamim Hossain and Mahfuzur Rahman.
Shamim scored 44 not out from 38 balls, while Mahfuzur remained unbeaten on 41 from 32 deliveries. Nevertheless, their efforts couldn’t prevent another defeat.
Pakistan ‘A’ skipper Mohammad Haris set the tone with a quick 32 off 18 balls, pushing his team towards victory.
Bangladesh’s late flurry of wickets gave them a glimmer of hope, but it wasn’t enough to turn the game around.
After winning their opening game, the HP team has faced setbacks, losing to the Tasmania Tigers by 5 wickets and suffering an 8-wicket loss to the Adelaide Strikers in subsequent games.
