Shaheen Shah Afridi said Pakistan will not lose faith in its young players despite the heavy defeat against Bangladesh. In the opening match of the ODI series on Wednesday 11 March, Pakistan lost by eight wickets at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan handed over first ODI caps to Sahibzada Farhan, Shamyl Hussain and Maaz Sadaqat, but none of them could make a significant impact. Shaheen said there was no reason to lose faith in Pakistan’s young players after just one defeat.
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Bangladesh vs Pakistan 1st ODI Highlights
“Yes, I think when you lose there are a lot of points you want to bring up, but I feel this is a young team and I will support this team until the end,” Shaheen said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
After being asked to bat first, Pakistan bowled out for 114 in 30.4 overstheir lowest against Bangladesh in ODIs. The home side then chased down the target in 15.1 overs. It was the fourth time a team had won a men’s ODI against Pakistan with 200 or more balls to spare.
“PARTNERSHIPS ARE KEY”
Shaheen said that Pakistan will have to improve their performance in terms of building partnerships both in the batting and bowling department. He said that Pakistan will look to work on their shortcomings in their last two ODIs.
“Yes, I think it’s just a little reminder for the team. In one-day cricket, partnership is crucial, both with the bat and the ball. But there are still two matches left and we will focus on those as well,” Shaheen added.
Pakistan will look to bounce back and level the series when the second ODI takes place in Dhaka on Friday, March 13. Pakistan are touring Bangladesh for an ODI series for the first time in 11 years, since 2015 when they won the series 3-0.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
11 March 2026 19:31 IST
