Mohammad Abbas Traps Shanto for 101 as Pakistan Pace Stalls
Mohammad Abbas removed Najmul Hossain Shanto for 101, but Pakistan’s pace unit never got close to the speed it wanted on Day 1 of the first Test against Bangladesh in Mirpur on May 8, 2026. None of the quicks meaningfully threatened 140 kph, and the day closed with Bangladesh on 301 for 4 after Pakistan had them at 31 for 2.
Mirpur pace, not pace
Shan Masood won the toss and chose to bowl first, and Pakistan’s new-ball pair made the early damage. Shaheen Afridi had Mahmudul Hasan Joy caught behind for 8, then Hasan Ali sent Shadman Islam back for 13 when Salman Agha took a diving catch at second slip.
That left Bangladesh at 31 for 2, but the innings changed shape fast. Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque added 170 for the third wicket, pushing Pakistan onto the back foot and forcing Abbas into a long spell as the attack searched for control more than raw pace.
Abbas and the 140 kph mark
Abbas eventually broke the stand by trapping Shanto lbw, ending a 101 that came in 129 balls. He was the slowest of Pakistan’s seamers, a detail that fit the wider pattern on a day when the entire pace attack struggled to threaten 140 kph.
The final ball of the day from Afridi was clocked at just over 120 kph, and Pakistan lost time even after an extension was granted because the over rate dragged badly. Bangladesh still reached 301 for 4, helped by 32 extras, which added to the pressure on a bowling unit that never found the burst it needed.
Pakistan’s speed problem
The numbers pointed to a larger issue than one off-day in Mirpur. On the 2023 tour of Australia, Pakistan’s attack barely climbed past 140 kph in a Perth Test, then lost by 360 runs after being dismissed for 89 in the second innings.
That history follows a side whose fast-bowling identity has long been tied to names such as Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar. On May 8, 2026, Pakistan’s quicks did not look close to that standard, and Mirpur left them facing the same blunt question again: where does the pace come from next?
