Bangladesh wins series 2-1 with 11-run win over Pakistan in 3rd ODI

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Bangladesh wins series 2-1 with 11-run win over Pakistan in 3rd ODI

2026-03-16 03:24 Last Updated At：03:30

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Salman Ali Agha’s century wasn't enough as Bangladesh beat new-look Pakistan by 11 runs in the third and final one-day international to win the series 2-1 on Sunday.

Agha hit 106 off 98 balls, but his dismissal in the 48th over saw Pakistan eventually getting bowled out for 279 with skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi stumped off the final ball of the doomed chase.

Opening batter Tanzid Hasan’s (107) first ODI hundred had earlier propelled Bangladesh to 290-5 after Afridi won the toss and elected to field on the same bouncy wicket where Pakistan was bowled out for 114 in the first game which Bangladesh won by eight wickets.

Bangladesh lost the second ODI by 128 runs under the DLS Method when it was also dismissed for 114.

“Definitely (it) was an excellent match,” Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz said. “It was an excellent wicket and if we got 300 it would be better, but we are playing well, especially the way Tanzid batted.”

A revamped Pakistan, which awarded six ODI debuts in the series, struggled to cope with the pace of Taskin Ahmed (4-49) and Nahid Rana (2-62), and slipped to 17-3 after the first three overs of its chase.

Taskin had Sahibzada Farhan caught behind off a nippy short ball before rattling the off stump of Mohammad Rizwan (4). Rana continued to impress with his pace in the series when opener Maaz Sadaqat (6) lobbed an easy catch behind after a mistimed pull shot.

Ghazi Ghori (29) and Abdul Samad (34), two of the six Pakistan debutants in the series, revived the chase with a 50-run stand before Pakistan lost both of them to Bangladesh pace and slipped to 82-5 in the 18th over.

But Agha brought Pakistan back into the hunt with a 79-run stand with Saad Masood (38) and added 52 runs with Afridi for the eighth wicket. Agha completed his third ODI hundred off 89 balls with nine fours and four sixes, before Taskin deceived the batter with a slower ball and Agha was caught at deep mid-wicket.

With 28 needed off the final two overs, Afridi smacked Mustafizur Rahman (3-54) for two big sixes in the penultimate over and reduced the target to 14 off the final six balls. Rishad Hossain stayed calm and had Afridi stumped to complete a memorable series win for Bangladesh.

The opening pair of Tanzid and Saif Hassan (36) provided Bangladesh with a solid start of 105 runs on a worn wicket. Tanzid used his feet well against the spinners and also handled the fast bowlers competently. Haris Rauf was wayward in his opening spell and Afridi couldn’t get enough movement with the new ball.

But Afridi got the breakthrough in his second spell when he clean bowled Saif in the 19th over. Tanzid continued to bat confidently and raised his hundred off 98 balls with seven sixes and six fours.

Tanzid was caught by Afridi at covers off Abrar Ahmed (1-49) in the 37th over. Rauf pulled back his length and removed Litton Das (41) and Rishad in quick succession and finished with 3-52 but Towhid Hridoy lifted Bangladesh to a fighting total in the last 10 overs with an unbeaten 48 off 44 balls.

“We gave chances to youngsters and fought till the last ball,” Afridi said. “Agha always likes to play the spinners and fast bowlers. He has played good innings for a long time. The youngsters came for the first time. Really proud of the way they played and we will support them.”

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

NATO allies bewildered by Trump's about-face on US troop moves in Europe

HELSINGBORG, Sweden (AP) — NATO allies and defense officials expressed bewilderment Friday at U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would send 5,000 U.S. troops to Poland just weeks after ordering the same number of forces pulled out of Europe.

The apparent change of mind came after weeks of statements from Trump and his administration about reducing — not increasing — the U.S. military footprint in Europe. Trump's initial order set off a flurry of action among military commanders and left allies already doubtful about America's commitment to Europe's security to ponder what forces they might have to backfill on NATO's eastern flank with Russia and Ukraine.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration said it was reducing levels in Europe by about 5,000 troops, and U.S. officials confirmed about 4,000 service members were no longer rotating into Poland from Germany. The dispatch to Germany of U.S. personnel trained to fire long-range missiles was also halted.

But in a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump said he would now send "an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland,” citing his strong ties with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, whom Trump endorsed in elections last year.

“It is confusing indeed, and not always easy to navigate,” Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard told reporters Friday at a meeting she was hosting of her NATO counterparts, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Ministers from the Netherlands and Norway were sanguine about Trump’s latest move, as was Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže, who said allies knew the U.S. troop “posture was being reconsidered, and now there is no change of posture. For now.”

U.S. defense officials also expressed confusion. “We just spent the better part of two weeks reacting to the first announcement. We don’t know what this means either,” said one of two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.

But Rubio said Washington’s allies understand that changes in the U.S. troop presence in Europe will come as the Trump administration reevaluates its force needs. “I think there’s a broad recognition that there are going to be eventually less U.S. troops in Europe than there has historically been for a variety of reasons,” he said.

The latest surprise came despite a U.S. pledge to coordinate troop deployments, including one from NATO’s top military officer, U.S. Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, on Wednesday.

Trump's initial announcement that he would withdraw troops came as he fumed over remarks by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said that the U.S. was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and criticized what he called a lack of strategy in that war.

Trump told reporters that the U.S. would be cutting even more than 5,000 and also announced new tariffs on European cars. Germany is the continent’s biggest auto producer.

Rubio insisted that Trump’s decision “is not a punitive thing. It’s just something that’s ongoing.”

About 80,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Europe. The Pentagon is required to keep at least 76,000 troops and major equipment on the continent unless NATO allies are consulted and there is a determination that such a withdrawal is in U.S. interests.

The withdrawal of 5,000 troops might drop numbers below that limit.

But Trump's latest post suggests that troop numbers in Europe would not change. Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski welcomed the decision to send more forces to his country, saying it ensures that “the presence of American troops in Poland will be maintained more or less at previous levels.”

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also welcomed the move. On Thursday, before Trump took to Truth Social again, Rutte had underlined that it was important for Europe to take care of its own security. “We have a process in place. This is normal business,” he told reporters.

At NATO headquarters in Brussels, meanwhile, U.S. officials briefed the allies on the Pentagon's aims for its commitments to the NATO Force Model, which involves contingency planning for Europe’s defense in the event of serious security concerns. It was widely expected that a further reduction of U.S. forces would be coming.

Asked whether any cuts were announced, Rutte said: “I’m afraid it’s much more complicated than that.” He said the procedure “is highly classified” and declined to give details.

Rubio played down concerns about a shift in U.S. force levels in Europe, saying: "Every country has to constantly reevaluate what their needs are, what their commitments are around the world, and how to properly structure that.”

Cook reported from Brussels. Associated Press writer Emma Burrows in London contributed.