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LAUDERHILL: Saim Ayub put in a solid all-round performance and Mohammad Nawaz delivered a brilliant spell as Pakistan sealed a 14-run win over West Indies in the first T20I at the Central Broward Regional Park on Thursday.
Defending 179, Pakistan restricted the hosts to 164-7 despite a steady start by the openers. Johnson Charles and Jewel Andrew stitched a 72-run partnership off 67 balls, but their cautious approach allowed the asking rate to balloon.
Then Nawaz came to bowl the 12th over, which was his final over, and turned the game on its head.
The left-arm spinner struck thrice in six balls, removing Andrew (35 off 33), Charles (35 off 36), and the promoted Gudakesh Motie, who bagged a golden duck.
Things went further south when Saim Ayub chipped in with the ball, removing captain Shai Hope (2) and Sherfane Rutherford (13) in successive overs.
The hosts collapsed to 114-7 in 17 overs, needing 65 off the last 18 balls.
Jason Holder (30* off 12) and Shamar Joseph (21* off 12) did swing hard at the end, but the damage had already been done.
Pakistan walked away with a comfortable 14-run win to go 1-0 up in the series against the West Indies.
Mohammad Nawaz finished with 3-23, while Saim grabbed 2-20. Shaheen Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem also chipped in with one wicket each.
Earlier, after being sent in to bat, Pakistan put up 178-6 in their 20 overs against the West Indies, a total built largely on Saim’s classy knock.
The left-hander struck his second T20I fifty, scoring a fluent 57 off 38 with five fours and two sixes.
His 81-run partnership with Fakhar Zaman (28 off 24) laid the foundation after Sahibzada Farhan (14) fell early to a sharp Shamar Joseph delivery.
Saim Ayub brought up his fifty in style before being removed by Holder in the 12th over. Fakhar soon followed, and the innings briefly stuttered.
Hassan Nawaz added a quick 24 off 18, while Faheem Ashraf (16 off 9) and skipper Salman Ali Agha (11* off 7) ensured a strong finish.
For the West Indies, Joseph impressed with 3-30, while Holder, Hosein, and Shepherd claimed one wicket each.
The second T20I between Pakistan and the West Indies will be played at the same venue on 3 August.
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