On this day in 1999: Bangladesh shock Pakistan to record a massive upset

Bangladesh made their first major appearance in the 1999 World Cup under the leadership of Aminul Islam. Not much was expected of them in the presence of Australia, West Indies, Pakistan and a number of big teams. However, the Asian team turned out to be a giant killer as they beat Wasim Akram’s Pakistan by a substantial margin of 62 runs at the County Ground in Northampton.

The Tigers might not have qualified for the Super Sixes, but they made sure of leaving an impact, rolling over the eventual finalists. After losing the toss and being put in to bat first, Bangladesh scored 223 in their 50 overs for the loss of nine wickets. Right-handed batter Akram Khan, the current BCB chairman operations, scored 42 runs and his knock was laced with six glorious fours.

Bangladesh script history in Northampton

Opening batter Shahriar Hossain also churned out 39 runs with five fours. Khaled Mahmud Sujon got into the 20s, but couldn’t convert it into a big knock. However, small yet important contributions from the other batters made sure that Bangladesh posted a respectable target of 224 for Pakistan to chase. Akram’s men would have been disappointed as they conceded as many as 40 extras in the first innings.

For them, Saqlain Mushtaq was the standout performer with five wickets, conceding 35 runs in his 10 overs. In the run-chase, Pakistan got off to a horrendous start, being reduced to 42 for five in the 13th over. Khaled Mahmud picked up the crucial wickets of Shahid Afridi, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Saleem Malik. Even as Saeed Anwar was run out, Shafiuddin Ahmed picked up Ijaz Ahmed’s wicket.

After the poor start, Azhar Mahmood and Wasim tried to make amends with a stand of 55 runs for the sixth wicket. But to their dismay, a run-out brought an end to their partnership. A couple of overs later, Akram perished as Minhajul Abedin got his wicket, caught by Shahriar.

Moin Khan, Saqlain and Waqar Younis got into the double digits, but their efforts weren’t enough for Pakistan. In the end, the Men in Green were bowled out for 161 in 44.3 overs. Khaled Mahmud was adjudged the Player of the Match for his all-round show.