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Babar Azam made an unbeaten 50 as Pakistan crushed Australia to complete a three-match sweep of their T20 series. Photo: AFP
LAHORE:
Saim Ayub and Babar Azam scored half-centuries and Mohammad Nawaz took five wickets as Pakistan beat Australia by 111 runs to sweep the T20 series 3-0 on Sunday.
Ayub hit 56 off 37 balls at the top of the order and Azam added an unbeaten 50 as Pakistan posted 207-6 before spinner Nawaz’s career-best 5-18 helped Australia bowl out for 96 in Lahore.
The series gives Pakistan another T20 whitewash against Australia, following a 2-0 win in 2010 and a 3-0 sweep in 2018, providing a timely boost ahead of next week’s T20 World Cup. The tournament, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, begins on February 7.
Australia, who lost the first match by 22 runs and the second by 90, were rattled early on when skipper Mitchell Marsh was bowled by Shaheen Shah Afridi for one.
Nawaz dismissed other opener Matthew Short cheaply and also accounted for Cameron Green (22) and Marcus Stoinis (23). Shaheen, who took 2-16, bowled Matt Renshaw as Australia collapsed to 63-5.
Nawaz then dismissed Josh Philippe for 14 and Cooper Connolly without scoring to better his previous best T20I figures of 5-19 against Afghanistan in Sharjah last year.
Skipper Salman Agha praised his team’s performance in the series. “We were excellent in all areas; I can’t find any mistake,” Agha said. “We dominated them. I am in a very good state of mind at the moment. I know how to handle the captaincy when I go to bat and I really want to do that in the World Cup as well.”
Marsh admitted his team hadn’t been good enough. “Pakistan certainly dominated us throughout the series. As I said yesterday, we have lessons to learn from this series,” Marsh said.
Pakistan, who won the toss and batted for the third consecutive time, were led by Ayub and Azam. Once opener Fakhar Zaman scored 10 and Agha five, Ayub and Azam steadied the innings during their third-wicket stand of 69 off 45 balls.
Ayub smashed two sixes and six fours in his sixth T20I fifty while Azam’s knock included a six and three fours. Shadab Khan sparked the innings with a total of 46 off just 19 balls, hammering five sixes and two fours as he added 57 off 28 deliveries with Azam. Pakistan piled up 70 runs in the last five overs to reach an impressive total.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the players, team management and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on the historic victory.
In a statement, President Zardari described the series triumph as a reflection of the collective hard work, professional preparation and disciplined approach of the national team. “The clean score in the T20 series is a result of the responsibility, harmony and confidence demonstrated by our players on the field,” he said, adding that the PCB, especially chairman Mohsin Naqvi, deserved special praise for guiding the team to success.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also praised the team for displaying extraordinary skills and teamwork in all departments of the game – batting, bowling and fielding. “The national players showed exceptional dedication, discipline and passion, which led to victories in all matches of the series,” he said. He further paid tribute to the PCB chairman, players and team management, expressing hope that Pakistan’s winning streak would continue in the future.
