- Date: July 31, 2025
- Venue: Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill, Florida
- Toss: West Indies won and elected to field (a decision they’d soon regret)
- Result: Pakistan won by 14 runs
- Scores: Pakistan 178/6 (20 overs) | West Indies 164/7 (20 overs)
- Player of the Match: Saim Ayub (Pakistan) – 65 runs off 47 balls, 1 catch (and a dropped one, but who’s counting when you’re this good?)
Pakistan’s Batting: A Lesson in Adaptability
Pakistan, forced to bat first on a pitch that Saim Ayub called “a nightmare for strokeplay,” made West Indies’ bowlers look like amateurs trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube blindfolded. The surface, with its inconsistent bounce and sluggish pace, demanded brains over brawn, and Pakistan delivered a batting masterclass, posting 178/6. Leading the charge was Saim Ayub, whose 65 off 47 balls was a slap in the face to West Indies’ hopes of containing the visitors.
Key Contributions
- Saim Ayub (65 off 47, 5 fours, 2 sixes): Ayub didn’t just bat; he conducted a clinic, toying with West Indies’ bowlers like a cat with a ball of yarn. His elegant cover drives off Alzarri Joseph and a disdainful six off Shamar Joseph’s short ball were pure disrespect. He read the pitch like a book, pacing his innings to perfection while others floundered.
- Fakhar Zaman (33 off 25): Zaman came in swinging, treating West Indies’ spinners like net bowlers. His 62-run stand with Ayub for the second wicket was a dagger to West Indies’ morale, especially when he smashed Akeal Hosein for a boundary through point that left the fielder flat-footed.
- Hasan Nawaz (28 off 19): Nawaz turned up the heat, launching Romario Shepherd into the stands with a six that screamed, “Catch me if you can!” His quickfire knock ensured Pakistan didn’t lose momentum despite West Indies’ desperate attempts to claw back.
- Late Fireworks: Captain Salman Ali Agha (15* off 8) and Mohammad Haris (12* off 6) rubbed salt in the wounds, plundering runs off a hapless Jason Holder (1/38), whose death bowling was about as effective as a paper umbrella in a storm.
West Indies’ Bowling: A Comedy of Errors
West Indies’ bowlers were like deer in headlights, with Shamar Joseph (3/30) being the only one who showed up to work. His slower balls and bouncers briefly troubled Pakistan, but even he couldn’t stop the bleeding. Alzarri Joseph (1/32) started well but crumbled under pressure, leaking runs like a broken faucet. Akeal Hosein (1/28) tried to stem the flow, but his left-arm spin was rendered toothless by Pakistan’s left-handers, who treated him like a warm-up act. Andre Russell (1/35) and Romario Shepherd (0/31) were expensive, their predictable lengths dispatched with ease. West Indies’ fielding was even worse—dropped catches and misfields gifted Pakistan at least 15 extra runs, turning a competitive total into a mountain.
West Indies’ Chase: A Spineless Collapse
Chasing 179, West Indies started with promise, as Johnson Charles and Andre Fletcher put on a brisk 50-run opening stand. But Pakistan’s spinners, led by Mohammad Nawaz and Sufiyan, turned the game into a one-sided affair, making West Indies’ middle order look like schoolboys facing a pro. The hosts crumbled under pressure, limping to 164/7, their dreams of a comeback crushed by Pakistan’s relentless attack.
Key Moments
- Spin Stranglehold: Mohammad Nawaz (2/25) and Sufiyan (2/28) spun a web that West Indies couldn’t escape. Nawaz’s arm-ball trapped Nicholas Pooran LBW, while Sufiyan’s guile dismissed Rovman Powell, leaving the middle order in tatters. West Indies’ batsmen, swinging wildly, looked like they’d never faced spin before.
- Late Resistance: Shamar Joseph (21* off 10, 1 four, 1 six) and Jason Holder (30* off 18) tried to salvage some pride with a late flurry. Joseph’s audacious six off Faheem Ashraf had the crowd gasping, but it was too little, too late. A dropped catch by Saim Ayub at deep midwicket off Joseph’s pull shot added some drama, but Pakistan’s grip on the game never loosened.
- Top-Order Failure: Charles (35 off 24) and Fletcher (28 off 20) promised much but delivered little, falling to rash shots against Pakistan’s spinners. Shai Hope (15 off 12) was outdone by a brilliant direct hit from Salman Ali Agha, summing up West Indies’ shoddy running and decision-making.
Tactical Breakdown: Pakistan’s Chess, West Indies’ Checkers
Pakistan’s game plan was a masterstroke of adaptability. As Saim Ayub put it, “We planned, but we stayed flexible—reading the pitch was key.” Their batsmen adjusted to the slow surface, prioritizing singles and twos before unleashing calculated aggression. The spinners, backed by tight fielding (barring Ayub’s late drop), executed their roles with surgical precision, exploiting West Indies’ weakness against spin.
West Indies, by contrast, were tactically clueless. Captain Shai Hope admitted they “got it wrong” with their bowling plans, underusing spin against Pakistan’s left-handers and failing to set defensive fields. Their batting approach was equally brainless—aggressive shots against disciplined spin bowling led to a procession of wickets. Hope’s post-match lament about “sloppy fielding and poor decisions” was an understatement; West Indies looked like a team that forgot to show up.
Standout Performances
- Saim Ayub (Pakistan): The star of the show, his 65 and a sharp catch (despite one drop) earned him Player of the Match. His composure humiliated West Indies’ bowlers, who had no answer to his class.
- Shamar Joseph (West Indies): The lone bright spot in a dismal display, his 3/30 and 21* showed heart, but it wasn’t enough to save his team from embarrassment.
- Mohammad Nawaz (Pakistan): His 2/25 was a spin-bowling masterclass, making West Indies’ batsmen look like amateurs.
- Fakhar Zaman and Hasan Nawaz (Pakistan): Their supporting roles ensured Pakistan’s total was out of West Indies’ reach, exposing the hosts’ lack of depth.