DHAKA: Pakistan made a triumphant start to their three-match away series against Bangladesh as they secured a resounding 8-2 victory in the opening fixture here at the Maulana Bhashani Hockey Stadium on Thursday.
The hosts got off to a decent start to the series opener, denying Pakistan three chances in the first minute, but the visitors eventually managed to open the scoring in the fourth minute, when captain Ammad Butt successfully converted a penalty.
Bangladesh netted the neutraliser just seconds before the conclusion of the first quarter, courtesy of Hozifa Hossain’s sensational field goal.
The Green Shirts, however, took just four minutes to reclaim their lead as Nadeem Ahmed scored in the 19th minute following a close-range scramble.
Afraz stretched Pakistan’s lead to 3-1 in the 24th minute before scoring a magnificent field goal five minutes later.
The visitors then dominated the possession, which paved the way for them to add four more to their tally as Ghazanfar Ali, Waheed Ashraf Rana and Hannan Shahid chipped in with one apiece, while Nadeem netted his second.
Bangladesh managed to pull one back in the 58th minute through Amirul Islam, but the deficit remained out of reach to be neutralised as Pakistan clinched the match in a dominant fashion.
For the unversed, the second match of the series will be played at the same venue on Friday, while the third and final fixture is scheduled for Sunday. The aggregate winner of the series will advance to the 2026 FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup qualifying round.
