Pakistan sealed a thrilling 2-1 series victory over West Indies with a composed all-round performance, securing a 13-run win in the third and final T20I at Central Broward Park in Lauderhill, USA.
Batting first, Pakistan posted a formidable 189/4 in their 20 overs, thanks to a strong opening stand between Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub. Farhan anchored the innings with a fluent 74 off 53 balls, while Ayub added an aggressive 66 off 49. Their 129-run partnership laid the perfect foundation for a big total.
The finishing touches came from the lower order, as Hasan Nawaz (15 off 7), Khushdil Shah (11 off 6), and Faheem Ashraf (10 off 3) provided quick cameos to push the total close to 190.
Chasing 190, West Indies showed early promise but faltered in the middle overs. Alick Athanaze led the charge with a brisk 60 off 40 balls, and Sherfane Rutherford chipped in with 51 off 35. However, the rest of the batting unit couldn’t maintain momentum under pressure from Pakistan’s disciplined bowling attack.
Sufiyan Muqeem delivered a standout spell, conceding just 20 runs in his four overs and claiming a crucial wicket. Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Saim Ayub, and Mohammad Nawaz also picked up a wicket each, maintaining control in the death overs. West Indies ultimately finished at 176/6, falling 13 runs short despite a late cameo from Gudakesh Motie (10* off 4).
Pakistan made two changes for the decider: Khushdil Shah replaced Fakhar Zaman, who was sidelined with a hamstring strain, and Haris Rauf returned in place of Shaheen Afridi. The West Indies fielded an unchanged XI from the second match.
Match Summary:
Pakistan 189/4 (Farhan 74, Ayub 66; Holder 1/31)
West Indies 176/6 (Athanaze 60, Rutherford 51; Muqeem 1/20)
Result: Pakistan won by 13 runs
Series: Pakistan won the 3-match series 2-1
Pakistan XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris (wk), Salman Ali Agha (c), Hasan Nawaz, Khushdil Shah, Muhammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem
West Indies XI: Keacy Carty, Shai Hope (c), Alick Athanaze, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Holder, Gudakesh Motie, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Romario Shepherd, Roston Chase, Jewel Andrew (wk)
