MULTAN, Pakistan, (CMC) – Captain Nicholas Pooran and Akeal Hosein excelled in unfamiliar roles but neither could save West Indies from a 53-run defeat in the final One-Day International and yet another whitewash to Pakistan here yesterday.

Hoping to avoid the ignominy of a second straight clean sweep on Pakistani soil following a similar fate last December in Karachi, West Indies managed to restrict Pakistan to 269 off nine in a contest reduced to 48 overs due to a dust storm which halted the host’s innings after 33 overs.

Pooran, more known for his attacking stroke-play, twirled his previously unrenowned off-breaks to pick up four for 48 and spearhead his side’s attack while fast bowling all-rounder Keemo Paul claimed two for 57 in his first appearance of the series.

As a consequence of Pooran’s 10-over magic spell – he had previously bowled only three balls in international cricket – Pakistan found themselves floundering at 117 for five in the 25th over but Man-of-the-Match Shadab Khan bailed the innings out with a counter-attacking 86 off 78 deliveries.

West Indies then quickly slumped to 129 for six at the half-way stage of the innings before Hosein arrived to blast an entertaining career-best 37-ball 60 and provide a glimmer of hope.

However, Shadab intervened again, this time with his more favoured leg-spin, snatching four for 62 to send West Indies reeling to 216 all out in the 38th over and condemn them to their third series defeat of the year.

Nicholas Pooran celebrates one of his four wickets during Sunday’s final ODI against Pakistan.

“The [last] two games were disappointing for us. We did poorly, especially with the bat. We take that,” Pooran said.

“Looking at the first game, we thought we did really good as a team and going forward, I think that’s our template.

“There are a lot of positives from this series. We learnt a lot as a team so we’re looking forward.”

Man-of-the-Series Imam-ul-Haq struck 62 off 68 balls at the top of the order to mastermind an opening stand of 85 with Fakhar Zaman who made 35.

Imam-ul-Haq counted seven fours and a six in his third straight half-century of the series and his sixth consecutive score of fifty or more in his last six ODI innings.

Pooran proved an inspired change, however, the right-armer accounting for both openers in a slide that saw five wickets perish for 32 runs.

With the pendulum having swung in West Indies’ favour, Shadab countered for Pakistan, lashing four fours and three sixes to inspire an 84-run, sixth wicket stand with Khushdil Shah (34) and a further 40 for the eighth wicket with Mohammad Wasim (6).

In reply, Kyle Mayers (5) slashed debutant pacer Shahnawaz Dahani low to point in the fourth over to deal West Indies an early blow and fellow opener Shai Hope followed in the tenth over after hitting four fours in 21 off 25 balls, picking out the boundary rider at mid-wicket off fast bowler Hasan Ali (2-29).

With no runs added at 52 for three, in the next over, Shamarh Brooks played on to Wasim for 18 and the subsequent demise of Pooran (11) and Rovman Powell (10) left West Indies with a mountain to climb.

Entered Hosein, the left-hander belting two fours and half-dozen sixes and posting 36 for the sixth wicket with Keacy Carty (33) and 49 for the eighth wicket with Romario Shepherd (16), to temporarily raise hopes of a Windies comeback win.

But once Hosein was deceived in flight and stumped off Shadab in the 35th over, West Indies’ chances disappeared with him.

PAKISTAN
Fakhar Zaman b Pooran 35
Imam-ul-Haq c wkp Hope b Pooran 62
*Babar Azam lbw b Walsh 1
Mohammad Rizwan c wkp Hope b Pooran 11
+Mohammad Haris c Hosein b Pooran 0
Khushdil Shah b Hosein 34
Shadab Khan b Seales 86
Mohammad Nawaz c Hosein b Paul 8
Mohammad Wasim b Paul 6
Hasan Ali not out 8
Shahnawaz Dahani not out 4
Extras (b1, lb2, w9, nb2) 14
TOTAL (9 wkts, 48 overs) 269
Fall of wickets: 1-85 (Fakhar Zaman), 2-88 (Babar Azam), 3-113 (Imam-ul-Haq), 4-113 (Mohammad Haris), 5-117 (Mohammad Rizwan), 6-201 (Khushdil Shah), 7-217 (Mohammad Nawaz), 8-257 (Mohammad Wasim), 9-263 (Shadab Khan)
Bowling: Seales 6-1-39-1 (w1, nb1), Paul 9-0-57-2 (w3), Shepherd 3-0-13-0, Walsh 10-0-66-1 (w1), Pooran 10-0-48-4 (w1), Hosein 10-0-43-1 (w1, nb1)

WEST INDIES
+S Hope c Khushdil Shah b Hasan Ali 21
K Mayers c Imam-ul-Haq b Shahnawaz Dahani 5
S Brooks b Mohammad Wasim 18
K Carty st Mohammad Haris b Shadab Khan 33

*N Pooran c Khushdil Shah b Mohammad Nawaz 11
R Powell c Fakhar Zaman b Shadab Khan 10
A Hosein st Mohammad Haris b Shadab Khan 60
K Paul c Mohammad Haris b Mohammad Nawaz 21
R Shepherd c Babar Azam b Hasan Ali 16
H Walsh lbw b Shadab Khan 3
J Seales not out 0
Extras (b8, lb4, w5, nb1) 18
TOTAL (all out, 37.2 overs) 216
Fall of wickets: 1-25 (Mayers), 2-52 (Hope), 3-52 (Brooks), 4-69 (Pooran), 5-93 (Powell), 6-129 (Carty), 7-155 (Paul), 8-204 (Hosein), 9-216 (Walsh), 10-216 (Shepherd)
Bowling: Hasan Ali 5.2-0-29-2 (w2, nb1), Shahnawaz Dahani 6-0-36-1 (w2), Mohammad Wasim 7-1-21-1 (w1), Mohammad Nawaz 10-1-56-2, Shadab Khan 9-1-62-4.
Man-of-the-Match: Shadab Khan.
Man-of-the-Series: Imam-ul-Haq