LAHORE: All-rounder Saim Ayub starred in Pakistan&#39;s spin-assisted 22-run win over&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/australia-announce-squad-for-threegame-t20i-series-in-pakistan" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Australia</a>&nbsp;in the first Twenty20 international in Lahore on Thursday.&nbsp;Ayub top-scored in Pakistan&#39;s 168-8 with a 22-ball 40 that included two sixes and three fours, while Salman Agha added four sixes and a four in his 27-ball 39.&nbsp;The tourists managed 146-8 in their 20 overs with spinners taking six wickets for Pakistan.&nbsp;With the ball, Ayub dismissed Australian openers Matthew Short (five) and Travis Head, who hit two sixes and two fours in his 13-ball 23.&nbsp;Cameroon Green resisted with a 31-ball 36 but Australia succumbed to spin with Abrar Ahmed taking 2-10 while Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan took a wicket apiece.&nbsp;Both teams were tuning up for the australia&nbsp;starting in India and Sri Lanka from February 7.&nbsp;Pakistan skipper Agha praised a team effort.&nbsp;&quot;It was a great game with complete team effort,&quot; said Agha. &quot;We started well with the bat but couldn&#39;t finish the way we wanted.&nbsp;&quot;It became challenging after the first 10 overs as the ball stopped coming onto the bat, but I think we were outstanding with the ball.&quot;&nbsp;Head, standing in for regular skipper Mitchell Marsh who rested, showed disappointment over batting.&nbsp;&quot;It was disappointing, but that&#39;s how batting goes sometimes,&quot; said Head.&nbsp;&quot;We felt like we dragged it back well after the first 10 overs but as the ball got softer, it became harder to score.&quot;&nbsp;Earlier, Ayub led Pakistan&#39;s batting after the home team won the toss and chose to bat.&nbsp;Paceman Xavier Bartlett jolted Pakistan by dismissing Sahibzada Farhan with the first ball of the match.&nbsp;But Ayub and Agha restored the innings with a second wicket stand of 74, but spinner Adam Zampa put the brakes on Pakistan&#39;s progress with 4-24.&nbsp;Zampa dismissed both Ayub and Agha in successive overs before accounting for Babar Azam (24) and Usman Khan (18).&nbsp;Debutant Mahli Beardman finished with 2-33 as Pakistan managed just 31 in the last five overs.&nbsp;The last two matches are on Saturday and Sunday, also in Lahore.

Cricket

Saim Ayub’s all-round show powered Pakistan to a 22-run win over Australia in the first T20I in Lahore. He scored 40 and took two wickets as spinners dominated ahead of the World Cup warm-up series.

Articles tagged with "saim ayub"

Ayub star in Pakistan's win over Australia in first T20I