Pakistan on Tuesday continued their mauling of a depleted West Indies team, trouncing the Caribbean side by eight wickets in the final of the three-match Twenty20 international series in conducting a clean sweep.
The West Indies, with the absence of their top stars, were, unequivocally, no match for the Pakistan, the world’s No. 1-ranked Twenty20 team, throughout the brief series that began on Sunday at the National Stadium in Karachi. West Indies were demoralized, making just 60 in that first match.
Thought they fared better in the final of the three matches — all matches were played at the National Stadium — the West Indies still came up woefully short, losing by eight wickets.
Babar Azam (51) and Fakhar Zaman (40) maintained Pakistan’s stranglehold over the West Indies, whose bowling, batting and fielding, throughout the series, were inept at best.
The West Indies fielding, in particular, was, patently, reminiscent of school boys’ cricket.
West Indies mustered 153-6 in the final match, with Andre Fletcher, who batted poorly in the first two games, hitting an enterprising 52.
Wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, a former West Indies captain, hammered a belligerent, undefeated 42. Shadab pegged West Indies back with 2-27.
Scores: West Indies 153-6; Pakistan 154-2.
The series’ sweep and the huge crowd at all three matches prompted Pakistan’s captain Sarfraz Ahmed to plead for change of perception about security in his country in hosting international matches.
“I expect no team will be using security concerns as an excuse in the future,” he said in a post-final match interview.
“This year or the next year, [international] cricket will come back to Pakistan,” he assured.
