AP, Abu Dhabi :
Pakistan eased to an eight-wicket victory against the West Indies in their third and final Twenty20 international on Tuesday, completing a clean sweep of the series against the world champions.
The West Indies’ top order stuttered for the third successive time in the series against the left-arm spin of Imad Wasim (3-21), being restricted to 103-5.
Pakistan raced to 108-2 in 15.1 overs to complete its first ever 3-0 rout in the three-match Twenty20 series. Shoaib Malik led the run-chase with unbeaten 43 which included a winning six off captain Carlos Brathwaite.
“When we came out today for this game, we didn’t want to relax and aimed at a 3-0 victory in the series,” Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed said.
“Credit goes to the bowlers for restricting the West Indies on such a good batting wicket under such humid conditions.”
Earlier, after being sent in to bat, Wasim had West Indies on the ropes at 4-31 when he clean bowled Johnson Charles and Chadwick Walton off successive deliveries and then rattled the stumps of the experienced Dwayne Bravo.
Young Nicholas Pooran also had a disappointing series on the slow wickets of the UAE, holing out at deep midwicket as West Indies slumped to 66-5 in the 13th over.
Marlon Samuels labored for 59 deliveries to top score with an unbeaten 42 but couldn’t provide the innings any real momentum with Kieron Pollard, who made 16 not out.
“We didn’t bat well in the first six (overs) in all the three games,” Braithwaite said. “We never got a competitive total but Pakistan outplayed us in all three games. It’s a matter of skill and temperament.”
West Indies could hit only five boundaries and a six in its entire innings but Pakistan openers Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif slammed five fours inside the first two overs from Jerome Taylor. Debutante seamer Kesrick Williams removed both openers in one over but by that time Pakistan had romped to 40-2 in six overs.
Malik and Babar Azam (27 not out) then cruised to the target with an unbroken 68-run stand to notch another convincing victory.
Pakistan won the first two matches of the series by nine wickets and 16 runs respectively at Dubai and will now meet the West Indies in the three-match one-day international series, starting Friday.
“We will go back to the drawing board and have to put in a better performance in the 50-over format,” Brathwaite said.
