Spinner Wasim leads Pakistan’s rout of West Indies in first T20
DUBAI: Left-arm spinner Imad Wasim took a career best five for 14 to help Pakistan defeat world Twenty20 champions West Indies by nine wickets in the first match in Dubai on Friday.
Wasim’s spin assault routed the West Indies for a low score of 115 in 19.5 overs which Pakistan surpassed in 14.2 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Dwayne Bravo hit a gritty half-century to avoid a total disaster, adding a new world record Twenty20 stand of 66 runs for the ninth wicket with Jerome Taylor who made 21.
Pakistan had lost opener Sharjeel Khan for 22 in the fourth over but Babar Zaman (55 not out) and Khalid Latif (34 not out) ensured the target was chased down comfortably.
Babar hit two consecutive fours to bring up the victory, hitting two sixes and six boundaries overall in his 37-ball knock.
“I bowl wicket to wicket and this brought me wickets,” said Wasim who was declared man of the match. “I try to give my hundred percent every time.”
West Indian skipper Carlos Brathwaite blamed his batsmen.
“We didn’t have a good start, so we need to change things quickly because there are back to back matches,” said Brathwaite.
Earlier, Bravo scored a 54-ball 55 for his fourth half-century and lifted the world champions from a precarious 48-8 in 11.3 overs before being bowled off the penultimate ball.
BRIEF SCORES: West Indies 115 (Bravo 55, Taylor 21, Wasim 5-14); Pakistan 116 for 1 (Azam 55*, Latif 34*) Pakistan won by nine wickets