FAISALABAD, April 11: A superb 72-ball 76 by opener Salman Butt inspired Pakistan to a seven-wicket win over Bangladesh after they were set a revised target of 158 to win in 28 overs under the Duckworth/ Lewis method at the Iqbal Stadium here on Friday.

Pakistan now lead the five-match series 2-0.

Pakistan reached home scoring 160 for three wickets with ten balls to spare. Salman and Mohammad Yousuf’s third-wicket stand of 73 runs paved way for the easy victory.

Salman slamming nine fours and one six in his 76 was run out at the total of 151 with the victory just seven runs away. A smart throw from Mohammad Ashraful from cover area left Salman stranded. Yousuf, who completed his 9,000 runs in this match, was unbeaten with skipper Shoaib Malik at the winning time.

Yousuf, who was in need of 19 more runs to become second Pakistani to score 9,000 runs remained unbeaten for a well played 32 off 30 balls with three fours.

Earlier, left-handed openers Salman Butt and Nasir Jamshed gave a brilliant start of 39 in four overs as both mauled medium-pacer Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and Syed Arsel with ease.

Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful soon made the change bringing in both left-arm slow bowler Abdur Razzak and Shakib Al Hassan. The move paid off as Pakistan could add just eight runs in next four overs’ play, besides also losing the wicket of Nasir, clean bowled by Shakib. Nasir without coming in the line of the ball, tried to hit hard but saw his stumps tumbled.

Salman with Younis Khan consolidated the innings, as Pakistan reached 59-1 in 10 overs. At 78, Younis departed, in result of a reckless show. With all stumps uncovered, Youn as had come well off side of the off stump to flick a straight delivery from medium-pacer Farhad Reza to be clean bowled for 13, adorned with one six, as Yousuf came to put Pakistan on way of victory in stand with Salman.

Earlier, opener Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah struck fine half-centuries as Bangladesh, opting to bat first, recovered from a precarious position to put up a respectable 225-8 as match-referee Mike Procter declared the innings close after 48.2 overs due to heavy rain.

The tourists were in dire straits at 104-5 in 23.5 over when Tamim caaame to their rescue with his fifth half century while Mahmudullah made his maiden fifty as both resisted the Pakistan bowling well to give their side an outside chance of leveling the series.

The visitors lost opener Shahriar Nafees for just four when he was caught by wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal off left-arm medium Sohail Tanvir. That was followed by two highly debateable leg before decisions which reduced the visitors to 70-3 in 16.2 overs.

Aftab Ahmed was declared lbw off medium-pacer Umar Gul for just one to give the bowler his 50th ODI wicket in his 41st match but the ball appeared to be missing the leg stump.

Then Rao Iftikhar sent back captain Mohammad Ashraful (22, five fours)leg before on a delivery that struck the diminutive player above the knee roll as he stretched forward. Ashraful looked clearly unhappy with the Aleem Dar verdict on his way back to the pavilion.

Tamim, however, continued to steady the innings and completed his 50 with two back-to-back boundaries off Rao Iftikhar’s 5th over. But soon all-rounder Shahid Afridi struck, claiming two wickets in quick succession to reduce the visitors to 104-5. Afridi accounted for Shakib-ul-Hassan (4) and then earned the prize wicket of Tamim, caught by Umar Gul at deep long off area for a 78-ball 60 which was studded with 10 boundaries.

After Tamim’s dismissal Mamudullah took charge of the proceedingsand his seventh-wicket partnership with wicketkeeper Dhiman Ghosh (27) realized valuable 75 runs that put Bangladesh in a fighting position.

Rao broke the stand by dismissing Ghosh caught by Nasir Jamshed while Sohail earned his second wicket when he clean bowled Mashrafe Mortaza to make it 223-8.

Light rain then forced an early closure of the innings as Mahmudullah remained unbeaten with a fine 58, studded with six boundaries off 74 balls.

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