Afridi blasts Pakistan to victory over Bangladesh

COLOMBO, (Reuters) – Captain Shahid Afridi blasted  124 off 60 balls to lead Pakistan to their highest one-day  international score of 385 and a 139-run consolation victory over Bangladesh in the Asian Cup at Dambulla yesterday.

Afridi stole the show, flaying the hapless Bangladesh  bowlers all over the park for 17 fours and four sixes.

It was the sixth fastest one-day hundred and the quickest in an Asia Cup match.

Man-of-the-match Afridi also set a record for the highest number of sixes in a career taking his total to 272 to surpass Sri Lankan opener Sanath Jayasuriya’s 270.

An opening stand of 81 off 75 balls between Imran Farhat and  Shahzaib Hasan set Pakistan on course for their score of 385 for  seven wickets, which beat the team’s previous best total of 371  for nine set against Sri Lanka in 1996.

Shahzaib scored 50 off 38 balls and Farhat 66 off 77. Umar  Akmal also joined the run spree with a fifty.

A demoralised Bangladesh made 246 for five in reply  with Imrul Kayes scoring 66 and Junaid Siddique missing out on a  century when he was dismissed for 97 by Shoaib Akhtar.

Neither team can reach the final of the tournament which will be contested by Sri Lanka and India on Thursday.