Haris hits maiden hundred as Pakistan whitewash Bangladesh

Haris hits maiden hundred as Pakistan whitewash Bangladesh
Pakistan’s Mohammad Haris celebrates after scoring century during the third Twenty20 cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Lahore, Pakistan, on June 1, 2025. (AP)
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Updated 01 June 2025
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Haris hits maiden hundred as Pakistan whitewash Bangladesh

Haris hits maiden hundred as Pakistan whitewash Bangladesh
  • Haris, playing in his 17th T20I, carted seven sixes and eight boundaries in his 107 off just 46 balls
  • Pakistan chased down 197 runs in 17.2 overs for their first home T20I series win in over three years

LAHORE: Mohammad Haris hit a swashbuckling maiden international century to guide Pakistan to a 3-0 clean sweep of Bangladesh with a seven-wicket win in the third and final Twenty20 international in Lahore on Sunday.

Haris, playing in his 17th T20I, carted seven sixes and eight boundaries in his 107 off just 46 balls as Pakistan chased down a challenging 197-run target in 17.2 overs for their first home T20I series win in three-and-a-half years.

Pakistan won the first two matches by 37 and 57 runs at the same venue.




Bangladesh’s Litton Das (right) with teammates walk off the field on the end of the third Twenty20 cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Lahore, Pakistan, on June 1, 2025. (AP)

Parvez Hossain smashed four sixes and seven boundaries in his solid 34-ball 66 to lift Bangladesh to 196-6 in their 20 overs.

Pakistan lost Sahibzada Farhan for one in the first over but Haris, whose hundred came up off 45 balls, added 92 for the second wicket with Saim Ayub and an unbroken 60 for the fourth with Salman Agha who made 15 not out.

Ayub hit four sixes and two boundaries in his 29-ball 45 while Hasan Nawaz scored 13-ball 26 as the home batters enthralled a near-capacity 30,000 crowd at Gaddafi Stadium.




Bangladesh’s Litton Das (right) with teammates walk off the field on the end of the third Twenty20 cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Lahore, Pakistan, on June 1, 2025. (AP)

Earlier, Parvez shared a 110-run opening stand with Tanzid Hasan (32-ball 42 with three sixes and as many boundaries) after the tourists were sent in to bat.

The Parvez-Tanzid stand gave Bangladesh an ideal start for their highest T20I total against Pakistan beating the 175-6 they made against them at Pallekele in 2012.




Bangladesh’s Tanzid Hasan Tamim (right) plays a shot as Pakistan’s Mohammad Haris watches during the third Twenty20 cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Lahore, Pakistan, on June 1, 2025. (AP)

Towhid Hridoy, who scored 25 from 18 balls with a six and two boundaries, then added 49 for the third wicket with Litton Das who made 22.

Fast bowlers Abbas Afridi (2-26) and Hasan Ali (2-38) were the pick of the home bowlers.


Pakistan says Afghan push for new trade routes will help ease smuggling, security woes

Pakistan says Afghan push for new trade routes will help ease smuggling, security woes
Updated 32 sec ago
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Pakistan says Afghan push for new trade routes will help ease smuggling, security woes

Pakistan says Afghan push for new trade routes will help ease smuggling, security woes
  • A senior Afghan official told traders his country to end reliance on Pakistan within three months
  • Pakistan says Afghan transit goods are smuggled back into its markets, hurting revenue and security

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Wednesday Afghanistan’s decision to seek new trade routes amid rising tensions with Islamabad would ultimately benefit Pakistan, reducing transit-trade complications and helping curb militant violence that Pakistan says is carried out by armed groups based in Afghanistan.

His comments came hours after Afghan deputy prime minister for economic affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, told traders and industrialists to end their reliance on Pakistan for imports and exports and find alternative routes within three months.

Baradar warned the Taliban administration would not take responsibility for problems arising from commerce routed through Pakistan’s southern ports.

The Afghan official’s remarks came amid a breakdown of trust between the two neighbors, whose relations have deteriorated sharply as Islamabad accuses Kabul of harboring the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which frequently claims attacks on Pakistani security forces. The border between the two countries has remained closed since last month following deadly clashes and Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghan territory.

“This is their own internal matter,” Asif told Geo TV. “Wherever they find cheaper freight or transit options, they will go there. I believe this should actually bring relief for us, because most of the goods sent from Karachi Port to Afghanistan end up in the Pakistani market. Luxury items are brought in that have no real consumption there, and they end up disturbing our market, where our consumers use them instead.”

Pakistan has long complained that a large volume of duty-free Afghan transit imports is smuggled back into its territory, undercutting domestic manufacturers, reducing tax revenue and feeding an extensive illicit economy.

Officials say cross-border smuggling networks often overlap with militant and criminal groups, contributing to security challenges in its western provinces bordering Afghanistan.

“When their traffic decreases here, terrorism that penetrates under the guise of trade, or in any other form, will also decline,” Asif said. “Border management will become easier for us. I see this as a kind of blessing in disguise. They are looking for other routes. Pakistan will only benefit from this. There will be no loss.”

Pakistan has served for decades as Afghanistan’s principal transit corridor for commercial goods, fuel and humanitarian supplies.

But bilateral trade, historically volatile and highly sensitive to political tensions, has been hit hard by escalating border clashes, militant attacks and tightening visa restrictions.

Baradar accused Pakistan of repeatedly blocking trade routes and politically exploiting commercial and humanitarian matters, harming traders and industrialists of both countries.

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