A well-timed half century from Fahim Ashraf helped Pakistan achieve victory while the team chased down the hefty target of 341 runs in a warm-up game against Bangladesh.
The young debutante shined as he scored 60 runs off 34 balls in the Champions Trophy warm-up match Coming in at No 9, he helped add 93 in 41 balls for the ninth wicket to take his side to an unlikely victory.
Earlier, the Pakistan batting struggled a great deal, with the only significant contribution other than Ashraf came from Shoaib Malik who scored 72 runs.
In the first inning opener Tamim Iqbal led a Bangladesh batting feast with a century as the new ICC one-day sixth-ranked nation amassed 341-9 in their Champions Trophy warm-up fixture against Pakistan at Edgbaston on Saturday.
After Mashrafe Mortaza won the toss, the Bangladesh batsmen put the Pakistan bowlers to the sword. The highlight of their innings being Tamim, who stroked 102 from only 93 balls as the left-hander struck nine fours and four sixes before being third out to teenaged leg-spinner Shadab Khan.
Imrul Kayes scored 61 off 62 deliveries with the aid of eight boundaries while partnering Tamim in a second-wicket stand of 142 after Soumya Sarkar, the third left-hander in the top-order, fell to left-arm speedster Junaid Khan for 19.
Mushfiqur Rahim further attacked the bowling by striking three sixes and as many fours in a quickfire 46 off only 35 balls, while Shakib Al Hasan (23), Mahmudullah (29) and Mosaddek Hossain (26) all spent useful time in the middle.
Junaid was the most successful of the Pakistan bowlers with four wickets for 73 runs in nine overs. Paceman Hasan Ali took 2-58 in nine overs and Shadab finished with 2-55 in nine overs but the experienced Wahab Riaz was a big disappointment.
The left-armer Wahab’s nine wicketless overs yielded 68 runs. The paceman was guilty of sending down two no-balls and four wides.
While Pakistan are heading into the Champions Trophy after a successful tour of the West Indies where they won all three series (T20, ODI and Test), Bangladesh were engaged in a triangular tournament in Ireland in which New Zealand were the other team.
