DUBLIN – Ireland dished out all-round show to beat Pakistan by 5 wickets in the first T20I on Friday.
Ireland won the toss of the maiden match against Pakistan on Friday and invited hosts to bat first at the Clontarf Cricket Club in Dublin.
Despite early blow of Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistani skipper Babar Azam and Saim Ayub stitched good partnership. Men in Green set a target of 183 runs, skipper Babar Azam led the charge, scoring 57 off 43 balls, while Saim Ayub contributed 45 off 29 balls.
Seasoned player Iftikhar Ahmed also played a crucial knock, scoring an unbeaten 37 off just 15 balls.
After Saim’s departure, Green Shirts lost four wickets for mere 31 runs. Iftikhar’s late blitz, along with Shaheen Shah Afridi’s blasting knock helped Asian side to reach competitive total.
For Ireland, Craig Young got 2/27 while Tector, and Benjamin White got one wicket each.
