LAUDERHILL (Florida): Mohammad Nawaz produced a stunning spell of left-arm spin, taking three wickets in a single over, as Pakistan claimed a 14-run win over the West Indies in the opening T20 International of the three-match series in Lauderhill, Florida, on Thursday.

Defending a total of 178, Pakistan were under pressure midway through the West Indies’ chase, but Nawaz’s decisive 12th over turned the game on its head.

The hosts, who had coasted to 72 without loss, collapsed to 75-4 in the space of eight balls, an implosion from which they never recovered.

Sent in to bat under lights, Pakistan posted 178-6, led by a composed 57 from 38 balls by opener Saim Ayub, who later returned to chip in with the ball as well.

Fakhar Zaman supported Saim with a quick 28, and the pair’s 81-run second-wicket partnership lifted Pakistan to 107 by the 12th over, setting the foundation for a competitive total on a sluggish surface before late-order contributions from Faheem Ashraf and Hasan Nawaz ensured a strong finish.

The West Indies, who came into the series still reeling from an 8-0 drubbing at the hands of Australia across formats, looked steady in their reply early on. Johnson Charles and debutant Jewel Andrew added 72 runs for the opening wicket, with both batters striking at just over a run a ball. The 18-year-old Andrew impre­ssed on debut with a composed 35, matching Charles’ score and showing glimpses of his promise.

Pakistan’s left-arm leg-spinner Sufiyan Muqeem continued his steady rise with another disciplined spell, effectively stalling the run-rate and drawing false shots.

And once Nawaz removed Andrew at the start of the 12th over, the floodgates opened. Charles fell next, misreading the turn and getting trapped in front, before Gudakesh Motie was cleaned up for a duck two balls later.

Saim added the scalp of West Indies captain Shai Hope in the next over to deepen the crisis. Hope, trying to counter-attack, perished for just two, slicing a full delivery to the deep.

“We assessed the conditions well and started strong, but we finished even better,” said Pakis­tan skipper Salman Ali Agha aft­er the win. “Once the ball got older, it became difficult to hit spin. Our bowlers executed brilliantly.”

Nawaz ended with figures of 3-24, while Saim’s all-round show earned him the Player of the Match award.

“It wasn’t a pitch where you could play all your shots freely,” said Saim. “The key was to build partnerships and stay calm. On slow tracks like this, your shot selection becomes very limited.”

To their credit, the West Indies tail showed fight. Jason Holder smashed four sixes in a 12-ball 30 not out, and Shamar Joseph chipped in with 21 off 12, giving the scoreline a measure of respectability.

They finished at 164-7, still short but far better than where they stood after the collapse.

It was a bittersweet evening for Shamar, who had earlier been the pick of the West Indian bowlers. Making his T20I return, he kept the scoring in check during the middle overs, returning impressive figures of 3-30, including the crucial wicket of Saim, who was trapped lbw just when he looked set to anchor a total beyond 190.

West Indies skipper Shai Hope admitted to tactical lapses and underperformance.

“I wouldn’t say our bowling was poor, but we didn’t bat or field well. I might’ve missed a trick by not using more spin,” he said. “We need to learn quickly and apply those lessons. We’ve talked enough; now we have to show it.”

With this result, the West Ind­ies’ T20I woes have now exte­nded to six consecutive defeats—unde­rscoring deeper issues in team balance, decision-making, and execution under pressure. The next two T20Is, both in Lauderhill on Saturday and Sunday, will be vital for the hosts if they are to claw their way back and avoid another series defeat.

SCOREBOARD

PAKISTAN:

Sahibzada Farhan lbw Joseph 14

Saim Ayub lbw Holder 57

Fakhar Zaman c Shepherd b Joseph 28

Hassan Nawaz c Charles b Hosein 24

Mohammad Nawaz c Motie b Shepherd 9

Salman Ali Agha not out 11

Faheem Ashraf c Holder b Joseph 15

Mohammad Haris not out 6

EXTRAS (LB-6, W-8) 14

TOTAL (for six wickets, 20 overs) 178

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-26 (Sahibzada), 2-107 (Saim), 3-110 (Fakhar), 4-136 (Nawaz), 5-150 (Hasan), 6-172 (Faheem)

DID NOT BAT: Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem

BOWLING: Blades 2-0-24-0 (3w), Holder 4-0-35-1 (3w), Hosein 4-0-31-1, Joseph 4-0-30-3, Chase 3-0-23-0, Shepherd 3-0-29-1 (1w)

WEST INDIES:

J. Charles c Haris b Nawaz 35

J. Andrew c Fakhar b Nawaz 35

S. Hope c Hassan b Saim 2

G. Motie c Saim b Nawaz 0

S. Rutherford c Fakhar b Saim 11

R. Chase c Sahibzada b Shaheen 5

R. Shepherd b Sufiyan 12

J. Holder not out 30

S. Joseph not out 21

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-11) 13

TOTAL (for seven wickets, 20 overs) 164

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-72 (Andrew), 2-75 (Charles), 3-75 (Motie), 4-77 (Hope), 5-92 (Rutherford), 6-110 (Chase), 7-110 (Shepherd)

DID NOT BAT: A. Hosein, J. Blades

BOWLING: Shaheen 4-0-27-1 (2w), Nawaz 4-0-23-3 (1w), Haris 4-0-41-0, Faheem 2-0-31-0 (2w), Sufiyan 4-0-20-1 (2w), Saim 2-0-20-2 (2w)

RESULT: Pakistan won by 14 runs.

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Saim Ayub

Published in Dawn, Aug 2nd, 2025