Canada to host Twenty20 tri-series in August

Canada will host a Twenty20 tri-series featuring Pakistan, West Indies and Bangladesh from August 13 to 16 and all the matches will be played in Toronto. The tournament, which was organised by the PCB to fill up its calendar after the postponement of their home series against Australia, had initially faced problems with the backing out of the primary sponsors, but the board has managed to bring in a Pakistan-based business house to finance the event.

"The proposed tournament in Canada may have run into major problems after the previous sponsor backed out of their commitment,"

Shafqat Naghmi, the chief operating officer of the PCB, told the News.

"But we've got new sponsors and hopefully the tournament will go ahead according to schedule."

Naghmi said the board had also received a guarantee from the new sponsors for Pakistan's participation for the tournament. This will the first time in close to nine years that Pakistan will be playing in Canada: they had beaten West Indies 3-0 in September, 1999. Prior to that, they had played an annual ODI series against India from 1996 to 1998, winning on two occasions.

Pakistan v Bangladesh, Twenty20, Karachi

Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by 102 runs in the Twenty20 international at National Stadium on Sunday.

Misbah-ul Haq led Pakistan's charge in guiding the home team to a comfortable 102-run win in the one-off Twenty20 international at the National Stadium here on Sunday. The 33-year-old scored his only over.

Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik was full of praise for his team.

"We showed true team spirit and the way we have played in this whole series gives me a lot of satisfaction that this team can do better against tougher opponents in the coming season,"

he said.

Bangladesh skipper Ashraful said his young team needed time to improve.

"Credit to Pakistan, they outclassed us. We have a young team so we need time to improve but I feel that we are learning with every match,"

he said.

Earlier, Misbah shared two important stands of 78 for the third wicket with Younis Khan (47) and 63 for the fourth wicket with captain Shoaib Malik (37) after Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat.

Misbah hit five towering sixes and three boundaries off just 53 balls to build Pakistan's highest total in a Twenty20 international, beating 191-7 also against Bangladesh in Nairobi last year.

Pakistan, who blanked the visitors 5-0 in the preceding one-day series, lost openers Salman Butt (one) and Kamran Akmal (nought) in paceman Mashrafe Mortaza's first over, but Misbah put the team back on track.

Butt was run out after he failed to regain his crease off the second ball, while Akmal was bowled off Mortaza's sixth delivery.

Younis matched Misbah stroke for stroke, hitting seven boundaries during his 28-ball knock before left-arm spinner Hasan caught him off his own bowling.

Malik upped the tempo as Pakistan made 90 off their first 10 overs. He hit two boundaries and three sixes before he was stumped off left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak.

Misbah lifted Razzak for a six over long-on to cross his previous highest Twenty20 score of 66 made against Australia. His 87 also becomes the highest score by a Pakistani batsmen in a Twenty20 match.

The previous highest by a Pakistani batsman in a T20 match was Misbah's own 66.