DUBAI: Pakistan romped home to a nine-wicket victory over world champions West Indies in the first game of a three-match Twenty20 series at Dubai on Friday.

Scores: West Indies 115 all out in 19.5 overs.

Pakistan 116 for 1 in 14.2 overs.

The Caribbeans got off to a nightmarish start after Pakistan put them in to bat, losing five wickets in as many overs for a paltry 22 runs.

Pakistan’s gamble of opening the bowling with spinner Imad Wasim paid off handsomely as the Windies batsmen were all at sea against his left-arm leg breaks.

Wasim accounted for the first three wickets to fall and ended with incredible figures of five for 14 off his four overs.

At one stage the Caribbeans were 48 for 8 in the 12th over and in danger of being dismissed without utilising their full quota of overs. But Dwayne Bravo defied the Pakistan attack with a knock of 55 off 54 deliveries. Mixing caution with aggression, he thrashed the bowlers to all parts of the ground, hitting four fours and two sixes.

Jerome Taylor gave him good support in a 66-run partnership that lent a semblance of respectability to the tally.

Openers Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif gave Pakistan a breezy start, scoring 28 off three overs. Sharjeel, the only wicket to fall in the innings, scored a characteristic 22 off 18 balls with the help of one sixer and three hits to the fence.

Khalid Latif, who came to the spotlight in the sole T20 match in England earlier this month, impressed once again. He scored an unbeaten 34 off 32 deliveries to guide his side to victory.

However, it was Babar Azam who stole the limelight with a classic exhibition of strokeplay. He made 55 in 37 deliveries, laced with two sixes and four fours.

Pakistan clinched victory with 34 balls to spare.

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES

J. Charles b Nawaz 7

E. Lewis c Nawaz b Wasim 1

A. Fletcher b Wasim 2

M. Samuels lbw b Wasim 4

D. Bravo c Umar b Tanvir 55

N. Pooran c Ahmed b Ali 5

K. Pollard b Wasim 9

C. Brathwaite c Latif b Wasim 0

S. Narine run out 1

J. Taylor b Tanvir 21

S. Badree not out 1

EXTRAS: (lb 2, nb 2, w5) 9

TOTAL (all out; 19.5 overs) 115

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-3 (Lewis), 2-11 (Fletcher), 3-15 (Samuels), 4-17 (Charles), 5-22 (Pooran), 6-47 (Pollard), 7-47 (Brathwaite), 8-48 (Narine), 9-114 (Taylor).

BOWLING: Wasim 4-0-14-5, Tanvir 3.5-0-26-2 (2w), Nawaz 4-0-16-1, Hasan 3-0-32-1 (1nb, 1w), Malik 1-0-5-0,(1w) Riaz 4-1-20-0(1nb, 1w).

PAKISTAN

Sharjeel Khan b Badree 22

Khalid Latif not out 34

Babar Azam not out 55

EXTRAS: (lb1, nb1, w3) 5

TOTAL: (one wkt; 14.2 overs) 116

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-28 (Sharjeel Khan).

BOWLING: Badree 4-0-27-1 (1w), Taylor 1-0-8-0, Narine 3-0-21-0, Bravo 2-0-16-0 (1w), Brathwaite 2.2-0-29-0 (1nb), Pollard 2-0-14-0 (1w).

RESULT: Pakistan won by nine wickets

UMPIRES: Ahsan Raza (PAK) and Shozab Raza (PAK)

TV UMPIRE: Ahmed Shahab (PAK) Match

REFEREE: Andy Pycroftt (ZIM)

Published in Dawn September 24th, 2016