Sarfraz, Malek give Pakistan combative score

Opener Latif provides brisk start after West Indies choose to bowl after winning the toss

Riding on an unbeaten knock of 46 runs from skipper Sarfraz Ahmad and his 69-run partnership in 7.4 overs with Shoaib Malek (37) for the fourth wicket, Pakistan posted a challenging 160 for 4 in the second Twenty20 match of the three-match series against West Indies at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

West Indies, after winning toss, put Pakistan in to bat. Opener Khalid Latif chipped in with 40 runs after his opening partner Sharjeel Khan fell for 2 in the third over of the innings from leg spinner Samuel Badree, chopping the ball onto his stumps.

Babar Azam, fresh from his elegant unbeaten knock of 55 in the first Twenty20 match at the same venue, joined Latif. The last ball of Badree’s wickettaking over was hit for a six by Latif over mid-wicket to announce his form and intent.

Azam and Latif had put on an unbeaten 88-run partnership in the first Twenty20 match and batted as fluently as they did in that match.

Reprieve

When West Indies introduced Sunil Narine in the sixth over, Azam drove him through extra cover to the boundary. In the eighth over, Latif and Azam took 13 runs off Dwayne Bravo. Latif escaped being caught off the last ball when Nicholas Pooran failed to hold on to a catch at deep backward square leg.

With the runs starting to flow freely, skipper Brathwaite brought himself on in the ninth over and sent back Azam for 19 with Kieron Pollard taking the catch at long on. Azam had put on 54 runs in 5.5 overs with Latif.

Pakistan

Sharjeel Khan b Badree Khalid Latif run out Babar Azam c Pollard b Brathwaite Shoaib Malik c Pollard b Bravo Sarfraz Ahmad not out Umar Akmal not out

(lb 10, w 5) (4 wickets; 20 overs) (8.00 runs per over)

Mohammad Nawaz (3), Imad Wasim, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir, Hasan Ali

Extras Total

Did not bat: Fall of wickets:

2 40 19 37 46 1 15 160

1-4 (Sharjeel Khan, 2.2 ov), 2-58 (Babar Azam, 8.1 ov), 3-85 (Khalid Latif, 11.4 ov), 4-154 (Shoaib Malik, 19.2 ov) (Scoreboard incomplete)

Shoaib Malek, who joined Latif also began to play his strokes freely and, at the halfway mark, Pakistan were 73 for 2. Driving Brathwaite through the covers, Malek picked up his first boundary. Latif, who was batting beautifully got run out for 40 off a brilliant pick-up and throw from Pooran from the deep backward square leg. Malek and Latif added 27 runs in 3.3 overs.

Sarfraz joined Malek with Pakistan needing some quick runs. Hitting Narine over extra cover for a boundary, Sarfraz began to pick the gaps. By the 15th over, Pakistan were 110 for 3.

With boundaries getting hard to come by, Sarfraz and Malek began to nudge and run singles and doubles.

Malek elegantly glanced pacer Jerome Taylor, who was introduced for his second spell, to the boundary. He also pulled him to mid-wicket for another boundary.

In the 18th over, Malek stepped out to lift Narine for a straight six. Sarfraz pulled Taylor to the mid-wicket boundary to steer Pakistan past the 150 run mark. Malek fell for 37 in the last over from Bravo, his pull shot going straight into the hands of Pollard.

Teams batting first have won 10 out of 12 matches scoring 150 runs or more at this venue.