Australia crash to worst ever T20 defeat in Pakistan ahead of world cup
Lahore: Pakistan handed Australia their biggest defeat in Twenty20 just five days before the T20 World Cup, where they will win the series 3-0 on Sunday.
Pakistan’s dominant 111-run win in the third and final match eclipsed Australia’s previous biggest defeat, when England recorded a 100-run win at Southampton in 2005.
Australia, one of the championship candidates of the T20 World Cup to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, achieved the career-best score of 5-18 from left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz, while the guest team was bowled out for 96 in 16.5 overs.
Pakistan, who won their third successive toss in the series, had earlier posted a daunting score of 207-6; this was the highest ever total in a T20 against Australia.
“We have been excellent in all departments since the last two days, I cannot find any fault,” Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said. “We got the better of them. I’m in a great mood right now. I know how to handle the captaincy when I come out to bat and I really want to do that in the World Cup as well.”
Opener Saim Ayub scored 56 off 57 balls and Babar Azam, who has come under scrutiny for his strike rate in T20s, made an unbeaten 50 off 36 balls. However, it was Shadab Khan’s brilliant score of 46 off 19 balls, which included five sixes, that put Pakistan to a strong total.
Pakistan’s Khawaja Nafay successfully appealed for Mitch Owen’s wicket.Credit: access point
Nawaz cashed in on the slow wicket and stunned Australia’s experienced batsmen after Shaheen Shah Afridi bowled skipper Mitchell Marsh (1) and Matt Renshaw (1) cleanly in his first two overs.
Playing the first match of the series, Marcus Stoinis top-scored with 23 while Cameron Green scored 22 before both were taken back by Nawaz and clean bowled. Nawaz completed his five-wicket haul in the final over when Josh Philippe top-leveled a tricky sweep towards mid-wicket and Khawaja Nafay stunned Cooper Connolly.
