• Saim Ayub, Mohammad Nawaz starred in Pakistan's win against West Indies in the T20I series opener.

  • Ayub was declared Player of the Match for his all-round performance.

Saim Ayub, Mohammad Nawaz shine in Pakistan’s win against West Indies in 1st T20I
Saim Ayub, Mohammad Nawaz (PC: X)

In the opening match of the Pakistan tour of West Indies 2025, Pakistan clinched a hard-fought 14-run victory over the West Indies at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground. The win puts Pakistan 1-0 up in the three-match T20I series.

Pakistan’s Innings

After West Indies won the toss and elected to bowl, Pakistan posted a competitive total of 178/6 in their 20 overs. The innings was anchored by a fantastic performance from opener Saim Ayub, who scored a brilliant 57 off 38 deliveries, including 5 fours and 2 sixes. He was well supported by Fakhar Zaman (28 off 24) and Hasan Nawaz (24 off 18) in the middle order. Towards the end, some crucial late-innings hitting from Faheem Ashraf (16 off 9) and Mohammad Haris (6 off 1) helped propel the score to a challenging total. For the West Indies, Shamar Joseph was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3 wickets for 30 runs, while Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, and Romario Shepherd each picked up a wicket.

West Indies’ Innings

In their chase of 179, the West Indies got off to a solid start with openers Johnson Charles and Jewel Andrew building a steady partnership. However, the game turned on its head in a single over from Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz, who picked up three crucial wickets to leave the West Indies reeling. The home side struggled to recover from this collapse, despite some late-order fireworks. Jason Holder, with a blistering 30 off just 12 balls (including 4 sixes), and Shamar Joseph, who hit 21 off 12, made a valiant effort to bring their team closer, but it was too little, too late.

Also READ: WCL 2025 – Fans applaud India Champions for withdrawing from the semi-final match against Pakistan

Player of the Match

Pakistan’s disciplined bowling attack proved too much for the West Indies, and they ultimately fell short, finishing at 164/7.

For his outstanding all-around performance, which included a match-winning half-century and a crucial two wickets with the ball, Saim Ayub was deservedly named the Player of the Match.

The two teams will now face off again in the second T20I at the same venue on Saturday, August 2.

Also READ: Sanju Samson shares his ambitions for Asia Cup 2025 amidst India’s ongoing geopolitical tension with Pakistan

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