NZ tri-series: Pakistan set Bangladesh 168-run target

Christchurch: Pakistan team set a 168-run target for Bangladesh to win the opening match of the T20 tri-series being played in the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Friday.

Pakistani opening master blaster Muhammad Rizwan once again anchored the Pakistani innings with his masterclass strokes all around the ground as he hit 78 runs in his 50-ball innings studded with seven fours and two sixes. Pakistan managed to score 167 runs for the loss of five wickets in its allotted 20 overs.

Captain Babar Azam scored 22 runs, Shan Masood 31, Haider Ali six, Iftikhar Ahmad 13 and Asif Ali hit 13 runs.

Earlier, Bangladesh captain Nurul Hasan won the toss and chose to bowl against Pakistan in the opening match of the Twenty20 tri-series in Christchurch, New Zealand -- but only after the snow was cleared.

The two teams and tournament hosts New Zealand are playing two rounds of matches and a final over the next week in preparation for the T20 World Cup in Australia.

The tourists will need to adjust to cold conditions in Christchurch, which is recovering from a cold blast this week that left ground staff sweeping snow from the covers and outfield at Hagley Oval on Thursday.

Temperatures had climbed to a relatively warm 12 degrees Celsius (54F) for the start of the match, to the relief of Pakistan skipper Babar Azam.

New Zealand will play Pakistan on Saturday and Bangladesh on Sunday, both at the same venue.

Teams

Pakistan:

Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan, Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Haider Ali, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Haris Rauf, Shahnawaz Dahani

Bangladesh:

Sabbir Rahman, Mehidy Hasan, Afif Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain, Nurul Hasan (capt), Litton Das, Yasir Ali, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Nasum Ahmed