Pakistan thrash West Indies by 7 wickets, sweep three-match T20 series

Pakistan completed a clean sweep in the three-match Twenty20 series against a virus-hit West Indies with a resounding seven-wicket win on Thursday.

Run-machine Mohammad Rizwan rounded off the year with his 12th half century in Twenty20 internationals by scoring 87 while captain Babar Azam made 79 in Pakistan’s blistering run-chase of 208-3 in 18.5 overs.

The West Indies squad was further depleted on the morning of the match when three more players tested positive for the coronavirus, increasing the number of cases to nine - six players and three support personnel - in the tourists’ camp.

Mohammad Rizwan celebrates after scoring 50 during the final T20 match. AFP

The West Indies’ top-order batters, led by captain Nicholas Pooran’s blazing 64 off 37 balls, still did well to post 207-3 after the tourists had won the toss and elected to bat.

“Rizwan and I thought of going till the end and keep managing the run rate,” Babar said. “Our bench strength got a good workout too and it’s a great sign for me as a captain.”

  Brandon King is clean bowled by Mohammad Wasim (not pictured). AFP

West Indies felt the absence of leftarm spinner Akeal Hosein, who was one of the three players to test positive along with Shai Hope and allrounder Justin Greaves.

Hosein had did well in the previous two games, which Pakistan won by 63 and nine runs respectively. Rizwan and Babar toyed with the inexperienced West Indies bowling attack once the former overturned an lbw decision through a television referral off debutant leftarm spinner Gudakesh Motie’s first ball.

Both batsmen became the first pair to record a sixth century stand for the opening wicket and surpassed the record of five set by the Indian first-wicket pair of Rohit Sharma and Lokesh Rahul. Babar, who hit nine fours and two sixes, combined in a 158-run stand before the Pakistan captain holed out at mid-off against Odean Smith’s knuckle ball in the 16th over.

Cricket fans cheer while watching the third T20 match in Karachi. AP

Rizwan hit 10 fours and three sixes before he sliced a catch to Pooran with Pakistan needing only 24 for victory. Hard-hitting Asif Ali (21 not out) smashed two sixes and two fours to raise the victory with seven balls to spare.

Earlier, the West Indies batters profited in the absence of Pakistan’s rested fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf to post a challenging total. Shamarh Brooks (49) and Brandon King (43) smashed 66 in the first six overs with fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain (0-49) proving too expensive. Pooran also scored at will before Pakistan pulled back through fast bowler Shahnawaz Dahani, who conceded just one boundary in his four overs, and got the wicket of Brooks to finish with 1-23. “I felt that in the last two overs, we definitely lost momentum,” Pooran said.

Nicholas Pooran (L) plays a shot as Mohammad Rizwan watches during the third T20 match in Karachi on Thursday. AFP

“Pakistan bowled well at the backend (and) we were 20 runs short on this wicket.” ODI series called off: A one-day international series between hosts Pakistan and the West Indies starting this weekend was called off on Thursday because of a Covid-19 outbreak among the visitors, officials from both sides said.

Five members of the West Indies squad — including three players — tested positive for Covid on Thursday, in addition to four cases reported at the weekend. The three-match series, which was due to start Saturday, is part of the qualifying round for the 2023 World Cup.

The matches will be rescheduled for June next year, a statement from officials said, adding the decision was taken to protect players and acknowledge the limited resources left in the West Indies squad. Despite the outbreak, a third Twenty20 match between the two sides went ahead Thursday, with a depleted West Indies winning the toss and electing to bat.

Teams:

Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Junior, Shahnawaz Dahani, Mohammad Hasnain

West Indies: Nicholas Pooran (captain), Brendon King, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Rovman Powell, Odean Smith, Romario Shepherd, Dominic Drakes, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh, Gudakesh Motie

Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Rashid Riaz (PAK)

TV umpire: Asif Yaqoob (PAK)

Match referee: Mohammad Javed (PAK)

Agence France-Presse