Hasan Ali urges Mushfiqur Rahim to tour Pakistan

Peshawar Zalmi pacer Hasan Ali has urged Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim to tour Pakistan, after his team’s victory over Islamabad United in a rain-shortened match at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Post the HBL Pakistan Super League 2020, which concludes in Lahore on 22 March, Bangladesh will visit Pakistan for the third and final leg and will play an ODI in Karachi on 3 April and second ICC World Test Championship fixture from April 5 to 9.

Mushfiqur is adamant on his stance of not touring Pakistan despite being urged by BCB president Nazmul Hassan to change his mind.   

"[Carlos] Brathwaite asked me today why Mushfiqur Rahim is not coming to Pakistan. I told him that I am not sure but I do think he should come as his team is also coming here. Brathwaite's view was that he should come to Pakistan as it's a safe country," said Ali during the post-match press conference.

Peshawar Zalmi beat Islamabad United by seven runs on Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method on Saturday.

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Zalmi were 85 for two in nine overs – seven runs ahead of the par score – in their chase of 196 when rain brought the match to a halt at the Pindi Cricket Stadium.

Speaking about this, Ali brushed aside the notion that Zalmi were lucky to get a win under their belt.

“It [rain] is part of the game and even if we played the rest of the overs I would have backed our team to win the game. I think we were in a good position and two of our main players, Banton and Haider, were batting,” he said. “At the end of the day we won and we are really happy about it.”