LAUDERHILL: Pakistan secured a 2-1 victory in the three-match T20I series against West Indies by winning the third and final encounter by 13 runs on Monday at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground.
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Pakistan made a strong start as openers Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan laid a solid foundation.
The duo launched a calculated assault, guiding their side to 47 without loss at the end of the powerplay. Their partnership flourished, with Farhan reaching his third T20I fifty in the 11th over, pushing the total to 88-0.
Ayub soon followed with his own half-century, marking his third in T20Is, as Pakistan reached 108-0 in the 13th over.
The 138-run opening stand was finally broken in the 17th over when pacer Shamar Joseph dismissed Farhan for a well-composed 74 off 53 deliveries, including three fours and five sixes.
Hassan Nawaz joined the action and chipped in with a brisk 15 off seven balls before falling to Roston Chase.
Mohammad Haris was run out for two in the next over, and Ayub’s fine innings ended at 66 off 49 balls after being dismissed by Jason Holder, leaving Pakistan at 170-4.
In the final over, Khushdil Shah (11* off 6) and Faheem Ashraf (10* off 3) added crucial runs to help Pakistan post a competitive total of 189-4.
In response, West Indies came out all guns blazing. They smashed 16 runs in the opening over to kick-start their chase and raced to 33-0 in just two overs.
Wicketkeeper-batter Jewel Andrew and Alick Athanaze added 44 for the opening wicket before Haris Rauf struck in the fifth over to remove Andrew, who scored 24 off 15 balls.
Athanaze continued the onslaught, reaching his maiden T20I half-century off just 31 deliveries. Along with captain Shai Hope, he kept the scoreboard ticking and had West Indies well-positioned at 98-2 in 11 overs.
Mohammad Nawaz provided the breakthrough by dismissing Hope, and in the 13th over, Saim Ayub struck to remove Athanaze for a brilliant 60 off 40, reducing West Indies to 110-3.
Sherfane Rutherford and Roston Chase rebuilt the innings with a gritty partnership, pushing the hosts closer to the target.
However, a sudden double setback derailed the chase—Chase retired out, and Sufiyan Muqeem dismissed Jason Holder for a duck, leaving West Indies at 149-5 in 17.2 overs.
Rutherford fought valiantly, notching up his fifty and keeping the hosts in contention with 26 runs needed off the final seven balls.
But his dismissal in the last over for a valiant 51 off 35 deliveries sealed West Indies’ fate, as they finished at 176-6, falling 13 runs short.
For Pakistan, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem, and Saim Ayub each claimed one wicket.
This defeat marked West Indies’ second consecutive T20I series loss, while Pakistan celebrated a well-fought series triumph on foreign soil.
