Pakistan opened the three-match T20I series with a convincing 22-run victory over Australia at the Gaddafi Stadium, with Saim Ayub delivering a match-winning all-round performance on Thursday.
Ayub followed up a rapid 40 at the top of the order with two key wickets to help Pakistan successfully defend a total of 168. Chasing 169, Australia struggled to build momentum and were restricted to 146 for eight in their 20 overs.
Australia began brightly as openers Matthew Short and stand-in captain Travis Head raced to 21 inside the first two overs, but Ayub provided the breakthrough by removing Short early. He struck again in his next over to dismiss Head, who had counterattacked with a quick 23 off 13 balls, shifting the momentum firmly in Pakistan’s favour.
Cameron Green and Matt Renshaw attempted to steady the innings with a 40-run stand, but Renshaw’s run-out triggered a dramatic collapse. Australia slipped to 112 for eight in the 16th over, with Green top-scoring with a cautious 36 off 31 deliveries. A late unbeaten 34 from Xavier Bartlett added some respectability to the total but was never enough to threaten Pakistan.
For Pakistan, Ayub and Abrar Ahmed picked up two wickets apiece, while Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz claimed one each to keep the visitors under constant pressure.
Earlier, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha’s decision to bat first appeared risky after the hosts lost Sahibzada Farhan without scoring. Ayub and Agha then rebuilt the innings with a solid 74-run partnership for the second wicket, providing much-needed stability.
Adam Zampa broke the stand by dismissing Ayub for a fluent 40 off 22 balls, an innings that included three fours and two sixes. Agha followed soon after for 39, before Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman added 37 runs for the fourth wicket to keep Pakistan on track.
Pakistan lost momentum late in the innings as wickets fell in quick succession, but Nawaz’s unbeaten 15 helped push the total to 168 for eight. Zampa was the standout bowler for Australia with figures of four for 24, while Bartlett and debutant Mahli Beardman took two wickets each.
The win gives Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the series, with the remaining matches set to further test both sides ahead of a busy international calendar.
