Kuala Lumpur: Unheralded 16-year-old Bangladeshi bowler, Ali Haider on Saturday achieved a rarest of rare feat when he returned with remarkable figures of nine for 10 after an equally stunning achievement by teammate Soumya Sarkar who slammed a double ton in an Under-19 Asia Cup, match.
Their efforts saw Bangladesh pummel Qatar by an emphatic 328 runs, something that doesn`t happen everyday in the 50-over format.
In reply to Bangladesh`s 363 for seven, Qatar also created another unwanted record as none of their batsmen made it to double digits in a total of 35.
Coincidentally, Indian pacer Irfan Pathan, in the 2003 edition of the tournament in Pakistan, achieved a nine-wicket haul, against Bangladesh. Irfan`s effort included a hat-trick.
Another striking similarity is that, like Irfan, Haider is also a left-arm fast-medium bowler.
In the match at the Selangor Turf Club, Haider virtually ran through the Qatar innings after Sarkar`s 135-ball 209, which contained 27 fours and eight sixes.
Haider needed to bowl just 34 deliveries to complete the formality after Sarkar set it up with a partnership of 250 runs for the third wicket with skipper Asif Ahmed who scored 87 after they were asked to bat first by Qatar captain Tamoor Sajjad.
Haider was denied the opportunity to take a tenth, with Omar Ishtiaq absent hurt. Sarkar and Haider shared the Man of the Match award.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, June 23, 2012, 18:52