Asia Cup: Bangladesh’s mastermind once belonged to Pakistan - now he’s laughing at their struggles

During Pakistan's nervy Super Four match against Bangladesh, former captain Rashid Latif sparked social media chatter with a pointed tweet about Mushtaq Ahmed's dual coaching roles. Pakistan ultimately secured an 11-run victory, defending 135, thanks to Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf's bowling.

Mushtaq Ahmed's reaction to Pakistan players getting dismissed (X)

During Pakistan’s nervy Super Four match against Bangladesh on Thursday evening, former captain Rashid Latif sparked chatter on social media with a pointed post. He tweeted a photo of Mushtaq Ahmed — currently Pakistan’s spin coach at the High Performance Centre in Lahore and also serving as Bangladesh’s spin bowling coach — smiling while the scoreboard in the background showed Bangladesh struggling at 51 for 5. Latif’s caption highlighted Mushtaq’s dual roles and described him as a “great bowler.”

Pakistan coach fires warning ahead of Asia Cup final

Rashid Latif tweet

The timing of the post did not go unnoticed. Pakistan were still in a fight to defend 135, with the game delicately poised. In the end, Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf delivered under pressure, taking three wickets each as Bangladesh were restricted to 124 for 9, handing Pakistan an 11-run win. Mohammad Haris earlier top-scored with 31 in Pakistan’s total of 135 for 8. On Friday, India extended their unbeaten run to six games after edging Sri Lanka in a dramatic Super Over finish, even though the result was a dead rubber with their place in the final already confirmed. Pathum Nissanka’s blistering century nearly handed Sri Lanka an upset, but Arshdeep Singh bowled a brilliant Super Over to give India the win after both sides finished level on 202. Abhishek Sharma once again stood out with a 31-ball 61, while Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma played crucial supporting roles in the batting effort. The victory ensured Pakistan will face India in Sunday’s Asia Cup final in Dubai. It will be the third meeting between the two sides in this tournament, after India won both the group stage and Super Four encounters. Those matches were clouded by controversy, including the absence of post-match handshakes.

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