LAHORE: Pakistan celebrated captain Babar Azam’s 100th international match in the shortest format with a clinical 88-run win against New Zealand in the first T20I in Lahore on Friday.
Azam failed with just nine runs but Fakhar Zaman and Saeem Ayub scored 47 runs and put on a 79-run partnership for the third wicket to bowl out Pakistan for 182 in 19.5 overs.
Fast bowler Haris Rauf, one of five players who returned from rest for Pakistan’s last series against Afghanistan, took career-best figures of 4-18 as New Zealand were bowled out for 94 in 15.3 overs. Got out.
Left-arm spinner Imad Wasim finished 2-2 in his only over — taking both his wickets in consecutive balls.
Mark Chapman top-scored with 34 off 27 balls with four fours and a six, while captain Tom Latham scored 20 off 24 balls.
Rauf’s previous best T20I figures of 4-22 also came against New Zealand in Sharjah in 2021.
Earlier, Zaman and Ayub lifted Pakistan from a poor start after winning the toss and batting.
Pakistan lost both their openers — first Mohammad Rizwan to the league for eight and then Azam Bould — for just 30 in the fifth over.
Ayub picked up the tempo with two boundaries off Milne and Ben Lister before he and Zaman hit off-spinner Ish Sodhi for a six each in the tenth over.
Zaman hit four fours and two sixes in his 34-ball innings, while Ayub’s 28-ball innings included two sixes and six fours.
Ayub was run out for the second run before being caught at deep square leg by Zaman Sodhi.
Faheem Ashraf scored 22 off 16 balls while Wasim scored 16 off 13 balls to help Pakistan score 47 runs in the last five overs.
Henry was the pick of the New Zealand bowlers at 32-32, as Pakistan were bowled out on the last ball.
Lister had figures of 2-30 while Malone finished with 2-51.
The remaining four matches will be played in Lahore (April 15, 17) and Rawalpindi (April 20 and 24).
Playing XI
Pakistan: Muhammad Rizwan (wicket), Babar Azam (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Saeem Ayub, Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan
New Zealand: Tom Latham (wk/c), Chad Bowes, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, James Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Adam Milne, Matt Henry, Ash Sodhi, Ben Lister
