A disciplined bowling display led by Mohammad Nawaz and a composed innings from Saim Ayub helped Pakistan defeat the West Indies by 14 runs in the first T20I at Central Broward Regional Park, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Chasing a target of 179, the West Indies were well-placed at 72 without loss, thanks to an aggressive start from openers Jewel Andrew and Johnson Charles. But their promising platform crumbled in the 12th over when Nawaz struck thrice, removing Andrew, Charles, and Gudakesh Motie in quick succession. The home side slumped to 75-3 in a dramatic turnaround.
Part-timer Saim Ayub added to the pressure by dismissing Shai Hope with his very first ball, while Sherfane Rutherford’s departure left the Windies struggling at 86-5. Despite a brief counterattack from Jason Holder (30* off 12) and Shamar Joseph (21), the hosts fell short, finishing at 164-7.
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Earlier, Pakistan were asked to bat first. Saim Ayub anchored the innings with a confident 57 off 38 balls. He shared an 81-run stand with Fakhar Zaman, who scored 28. The innings lost some rhythm after both fell in quick succession, but brief cameos from Hassan Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, and Salman Ali Agha lifted the total to 178-7. Mohammad Haris hit a six off the final delivery.
Shamar Joseph stood out for West Indies on debut, taking 3 for 35. But Nawaz’s 3 for 23 and Saim’s 2 for 15 turned the game in Pakistan’s favour. Shaheen Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem also chipped in with a wicket each.