Pakistan recovered from a middle-order collapse to coast to a 155-run victory win over Hong Kong in their Asia Cup match at Karachi's National stadium on Tuesday.
Pakistan recovered from 161 for seven to reach 288 for nine and then bowled out Hong Kong for 133 in 37.2 overs to start their campaign in the six-nation event on a winning note.
The men from Hong Kong did not score many runs but showed plenty of grit against the strong Pakistani attack. Skipper Tabarak Dar set the example when he returned to bat after taking a terrible blow to his helmet from paceman Umar Gul in the seventh over. Dar had batted sensibly to take his team to 27 for no loss when he was felled by Gul. He returned to bat with his team on 77 for five. Dar scored 24 from 51 balls with three fours. Zain Abbas also retired hurt with cramps after making 26 in the 28th over.
Sohail Tanvir, who scored 59 with the bat, took two wickets as did Shahid Afridi and Rao Iftikhar. Earlier, 20-year-old left-arm spinner Nadeem Ahmed sent jitters through the Pakistan team finishing after taking 4-51 in only his second international. Ahmed, who was born in the Pakistani city of Multan, sent the strong Pakistan batting crashing from 121 for two to 161 for seven before a record eight-wicket stand revived the home side.Fawad Alam (63 not out) and Sohail Tanvir (59) scored their maiden fifties in a 100-run partnership.
Their stand was a new record for the eight wicket in the Asia Cup beating the previous best of Ajay Jadeja and Ajit Agarkar for India against Pakistan at Dhaka in 2000. Ahmed, whose only other international appearance was also against Pakistan in Colombo in the last Asia Cup in 2004, picked up the wickets of Younis Khan (67), Mohammad Yousuf (28), Misbah-ul-Haq (2) and Afridi (4) in a span of 21 balls for 19 runs.