Resurgent Pakistan seal T20 sweep of Australia, team cleared to play in T20 World Cup

LAHORE: Saim Ayub and Babar Azam hit half-centuries and Mohammad Nawaz took five wickets as Pakistan thrashed Australia by 111 runs to sweep the T20 series 3-0 on Sunday.
Ayub hit 56 off 37 balls at the top of the order and Azam added an unbeaten 50 as Pakistan posted 207-6 before spinner Nawaz’s career-best 5-18 helped skittle Australia for 96 in Lahore.
The series gives Pakistan another T20 whitewash of Australia, following a 2-0 victory in 2010 and a 3-0 sweep in 2018, providing a timely boost ahead of next week’s T20 World Cup. The tournament, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, begins on February 7.
The Pakistani government cleared the national team on Sunday to compete in the tournament, but stopped them from playing arch-rivals and tournament co-hosts India.
“The government of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan cricket team to participate in the Twenty20 World Cup, however, the Pakistan team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February against India,” a Pakistan government release said.
Australia, who lost the first match by 22 runs and the second by 90, were jolted early when skipper Mitchell Marsh was bowled by Shaheen Shah Afridi for one.
Nawaz removed the other opener Matthew Short cheaply and also accounted for Cameron Green (22) and Marcus Stoinis (23). Shaheen, who took 2-16, bowled Matt Renshaw as Australia slumped to 63-5.
Nawaz then dismissed Josh Philippe for 14 and Cooper Connolly without scoring to improve on his previous best T20I figures of 5-19 against Afghanistan in Sharjah last year.
Skipper Salman Agha praised his team’s performance in the series.
“We have been excellent in all departments; I can’t find any mistakes,” said Agha. “We dominated them. I am in a great frame of mind right now.
“I know how to handle the captaincy when I go out to bat and I really want to do that in the World Cup as well.”
Marsh admitted his team had not been good enough.
“Pakistan certainly outplayed us throughout the whole series. As I said yesterday, there are learnings for us in this series,” said Marsh.
Pakistan, who won the toss and batted for the third time in a row, were led by Ayub and Azam.
Once opener Fakhar Zaman went for 10 and Agha for five, Ayub and Azam steadied the innings during their third-wicket stand of 69 off 45 balls.
Ayub smashed two sixes and six fours in his sixth T20I fifty while Azam’s knock included a six and three fours.
Shadab Khan ignited the innings with a blistering 46 off just 19 balls, hammering five sixes and two fours as he added 57 from 28 deliveries with Azam. Pakistan piled on 70 runs in the final five overs to surge to a commanding total.