Leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo captured four wickets while Lendl Simmons composed a fluent 65 as West Indies beat Pakistan by seven runs in their inaugural Twenty20 international on Thursday.
Umar Akmal led the way with 41, Asad Shafiq made 25, and Saeed Ajmal scored 21 not out as the Pakistanis were restricted to 143 for nine in their 20 overs, chasing 151 for victory at the Beausejour Cricket Ground.
“I think the pitch was good for batsmen, and I don’t know why we missed this opportunity to win this match,” said Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi. “We are not building any partnerships. This is what has been missing for us for a few months.
Bishoo bowled really well, and all of their bowlers delivered in the right areas.” The visitors’ batting was undermined chiefly by leg-spinner Bishoo, whose four wickets for 17 runs from his allotted four overs earned him the man-of-the-match award, and Ravi Rampaul supported with three for 31 from four overs.
“The jump from domestic cricket to international cricket is a big difference,” said Bishoo.
“You have to be far more containing because the batsmen take good balls and turn them into bad balls. The pitch was a good pitch and I felt it would slide onto the bat.”
Pakistan bowlers’ looked short of work as opener Simmons struck seven fours and two sixes in the top score of 65 from 44 deliveries as West Indies built a total of 150 for seven from their 20 overs.
Abdur Rehman gave Pakistan an early breakthrough, when he trapped Andre Fletcher lbw for one, but Simmons and Darren Bravo added 99 for the second wicket to put West Indies back on track for a decent total.
Rehman made the breakthrough again when he had Bravo caught at long-on for 42, and West Indies wobbled the rest of the way, with no other batsman passing 20. Rehman, Wahab Riaz and Saeed Ajmal collected two wickets apiece for Pakistan.
Pakistan made a shaky start to their chase and soon slid to 49 for four in the seventh over when Bishoo tightened the screws, having Asad Shafiq caught at short mid-on with his fourth delivery, and next ball, had Misbah-ul-Haq hit wicket for a first-ball duck.
Akmal tried to keep the momentum going in the middle of the innings, but Bishoo had Afridi caught at extra cover for 12 to effectively dent Pakistan’s hopes.
The two sides contest the first one-day international in a series of five, starting on Saturday at the same venue.
