Pakistan paceman Naseem Shah takes Test hat-trick - youngest ever at age of 16
Pakistan's Naseem Shah became the youngest player to take a Test hat-trick as the 16-year-old achieved the rare feat against Bangladesh on Sunday.
Naseem reduced Bangladesh from 124-2 to 124-5 as he removed Najmul Hossain Shanto, Taijul Islam and Mahmudullah with successive deliveries.
His spectacular effort came six days before he turns 17 and provided further evidence of his emergence at international level, barely six weeks after becoming the youngest paceman to take a five-wicket haul in Tests.
That 5-31 performance against Sri Lanka in late December tied up a Test win over Sri Lanka in Karachi, and this time it was the Rawalpindi crowds who were treated to a show from the teenager.
His hat-trick began with a review following a loud lbw appeal, with Naseem and his team-mates confident he had Shanto pinned in front. Replays showed the ball would have struck leg stump.
Taijul came out as a nightwatchman but hopes he would block out the rest of the day were shattered when Naseem produced a sizzling delivery that struck him on the pads, leaving no doubt it was a second wicket in two balls.
Bangladesh sent out Mahmudullah next, hoping the frontline batsman would prove more resilient, but he flung the bat and got a big edge that was taken expertly at first slip by Haris Sohail.
Najmul Hossain Shanto
Taijul Islam
Mahmudullah
Hat-trick for Naseem Shah! #PAKvBAN pic.twitter.com/dVlKZUP9Zl — ICC (@ICC) February 9, 2020
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Naseem soon left the action, reportedly for treatment, but Bangladesh lost a sixth batsman before the close, Mohammad Mithun bowled by Yasir Shah before he had a run to his name.
Pakistan - who made 445 in their first innings - looked to be heading to an innings victory, with Bangladesh, on 126-6 at stumps, still trailing by 86 runs with four second-innings wickets standing.
The home team began Sunday's third day of the match on 342-3 and had Babar Azam at the crease on 143 not out.
However, he fell to the second ball of the morning without adding to his overnight score, while Asad Shafiq only progressed from 60 to 65 before he too was dismissed, with Abu Jayed and Ebadat Hossain the bowlers striking early.
Haris Sohail made a swift 75 to stretch Pakistan's lead to 212 runs, hitting seven fours and two sixes.
Naseem then struck in the ninth over of Bangladesh's innings when he bowled Saif Hassan, and Yasir had Tamim Iqbal pegged lbw for 34.
Bangladesh rebuilt, but Naseem halted a 71-run stand between Shanto and Mominul Haque with the first wicket of his hat-trick.
Figures of 4-26 in 8.2 overs reflected his contribution, the youngster becoming just the fourth Pakistan bowler to snaffle a Test hat-trick after Wasim Akram, who achieved the feat twice, Abdul Razzaq and Mohammad Sami.