Wasim finished with career-best figures of 5-14 off his four overs

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Imad Wasim stole the show on Friday as he ripped through the West Indies’ batting line-up and finished with a five-wicket haul to lead Pakistan to a comfortable nine-wicket win.

Opting to bowl first, Pakistan were rewarded with a wicket on the fifth ball of the match as Mohammad Nawaz clean bowled West Indies opener Johnson Charles for seven.

After being dealt an early blow, the West Indies crumbled as Wasim wreaked havoc and speared their their top and middle order with ease.

Dwayne Bravo was the only West Indian batsman to put up a fight as he scored a valiant 55, which came off 54 balls and included four boundaries and two sixes before he was dismissed by Sohail Tanvir on the penultimate ball of the innings.

Thanks to Bravo, the West Indies managed to make 115 before they were bowled out.

Wasim was easily the pick of the bowlers with his five wickets, while Tanvir snapped up two and Nawaz and Hasan Ali chipped in with one wicket apiece.

Chasing 116 to win, Pakistan opener Sharjeel Khan got off to a blistering start, but his time at the crease came to an end when he was cleaned up by Samuel Badree for 22.

Despite the loss of Sharjeel, Babar Azam and Khalid Latif ensured Pakistan remained in cruise control as they amassed an unbeaten 88-run partnership, during which Azam surpassed his half-century, to lead Pakistan to victory with 34 balls to spare.

Azam finished on 55 off 37 balls, which included six boundaries and two sixes, while Latif remained undefeated on 34 off 32 deliveries, which included four boundaries and a six.

Azam scored his maiden Twenty20 International fifty

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Badree was the only bowler to take a wicket.

West Indies captain Carlos Brathwaite was less than impressed with his side’s performance, and said: “I don’t think we had a good enough start. This wasn’t one of our better performances, but we won’t stop our guys from playing positive cricket at the top of the order. We’ll have a talk about handling spin, their plans won’t change much. We have to start better to allow Pollard, Bravo and myself to come in with five overs left.”

Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed was delighted to have taken a 1-0 lead in the series, and said: “The players have responded really well. We’ve focused a lot on fielding and positive body language. We’re using Imad Wasim as a strike bowler and he’s done well so far. The other spinners have supported him well. We want to play attacking cricket, the mindset is always to take wickets.”

Wasim was named Man of the Match, and said: “I don’t try to experiment. I just keep trying to bowl wicket-to-wicket.”