Imad takes five as Pakistan thrash Windies

IMAD Wasim became the first Pakistan spinner to claim a five-wicket haul in a Twenty20 International as world champions West Indies were hammered by nine wickets in the opening match of the series.Pakistan finished their tour of England on a high note by thrashing England this month and carried on where they left off in a one-sided encounter in Dubai yesterday. Scores: Pakistan 116 for 1 (Azam 55*, Latif 34*) beat West Indies 115 (Bravo 55, Taylor 21, Wasim 5-14) by nine wickets).
All-rounder Imad was the star of the show, taking 5-14 – the eighth-best figures in a T20 International – in a magnificent spell as the Windies were bowled out for only 115 in their first competitive game since the departure of head coach Phil Simmons.
The tourists slumped to 48-8 before Dwayne Bravo (55 from 54 balls) ensured they were not totally humiliated, but Babar Azam (55 not out from 37) made his maiden T20 half-century for Pakistan as they got home with 34 balls to spare in the first game of a three-match series.
Imad, opening the bowling on a scorched, cracked pitch after Sarfraz Ahmed won the toss, had the Windies in dire straits when he dismissed Evin Lewis (1) from the fifth ball before removing Andre Fletcher (2) and trapping Marlon Samuels (4) in front in the same over.
Things went from bad to worse for a West Indies side missing Chris Gayle and Andre Russell, with Mohammad Nawaz (1-16) cleaning up Johnson Charles (7) and debutant Nicholas Pooran (5) also failing, to leave them 22-5
The outstanding Imad had five wickets to his name after bowling the dangerous Kieron Pollard (9) and also getting rid of captain Carlos Braithwaite without scoring.
It was not until the 13th over that Jerome Taylor (21) smashed the first six of the day as he and Bravo put on 66 to get the Windies past their lowest ever T20 total of 79, with the latter clearing the ropes twice after seeing so many wickets fall at the other end.
Pakistan lost Sharjeel Khan (22), bowled by Samuel Badree (1-27), in reply, but Azam and opener Khalid Latif (34 off 32) combined for an unbroken stand of 88 to seal an emphatic win, with the recalled Umar Akmal not required to bat. (Omnisport.com)

SCOREBOARD
WEST INDIES
J Charles b Mohammad Nawaz 7
E Lewis c Mohammad Nawaz b Imad Wasim 1
+A Fletcher b Imad Wasim 2
M Samuels lbw b Imad Wasim 4
DJ Bravo c Umar Akmal b Sohail Tanvir 55
N Pooran c wkp Sarfraz Ahmed b Hasan Ali 5
K Pollard b Imad Wasim 9
*C Brathwaite c Khalid Latif b Imad Wasim 0
S Narine run out 1
J Taylor b Sohail Tanvir 21
S Badree not out 1
Extras (lb2, w5, nb2) 9
TOTAL (all out; 19.5 overs) 115
Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Lewis, 0.5 overs), 2-11 (Fletcher, 2.2), 3-15 (Samuels, 2.4), 4-17 (Charles, 3.4), 5-22 (Pooran, 4.3), 6-47 (Pollard, 10.3), 7-47 (Brathwaite, 10.5), 8-48 (Narine, 11.3), 9-114 (Taylor, 19.2), 10-115 (Bravo, 19.5).
Bowling: Imad Wasim 4-0-14-5, Sohail Tanvir 3.5-0-26-2 (w2), Mohammad Nawaz 4-0-16-1, Hasan Ali 3-0-32-1 (w1, nb1), Shoaib Malik 1-0-5-0 (w1), Wahab Riaz 4-1-20-0 (w1, nb1).

PAKISTAN
Sharjeel Khan b Badree 22
Khalid Latif not out 34
Babar Azam not out 55
Extras (lb1, w3, nb1) 5

TOTAL (1 wkt, 14.2 overs) 116
Did not bat: Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, *+Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Imad Wasim, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir, Hasan Ali
Fall of wickets: 1-28 (Sharjeel Khan, 3.5 overs).
Bowling: Badree 4-0-27-1 (w1), Taylor 1-0-8-0, Narine 3-0-21-0, DJ Bravo 2-0-16-0 (w1), Brathwaite 2.2-0-29-0 (nb1), Pollard 2-0-14-0 (w1).