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West Indies bowl out Pakistan for 105 in World Cup opener
NOTTINGHAM, United Kingdom, May 31, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Oshane Thomas took four wickets as West Indies skittled Pakistan for their second-lowest World Cup total of 105 at Trent Bridge on Friday.
Thomas finished with four for 27 while Jason Holder 3-42 and Andre Russell 2-4 shared the spoils as Pakistan, sent in to bat, were demolished in just 21.4 overs.
Opener Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam were the joint top-scorers with 22 each in an abysmal display of batting.
The only other batsmen to reach double figures were Wahab Riaz, who scored 18, and Mohammad Hafeez (16).
Riaz put on 22 for the last wicket — the highest stand of the match — with Mohammad Amir, who made three not out.
Pakistan’s lowest World Cup score was 74, made against England at Adelaide on the way to their only World Cup title in 1992.
“New experience for me, this being my first World Cup,” Thomas told Sky Sports.
“I was confident of running in and doing my job. Andre Russell started the job for us, I just followed his footsteps today. Lot of guys tried to mix it up with short balls. I mean, we wanted to execute our plans well.”
Imam-ul-Haq was the first batsman to be dismissed, caught behind the wicket by Shai Hope for two off the bowling of left-armer Sheldon Cottrell.
Russell then struck twice, bowling opener Fakhar in his first over and having Haris Sohail caught behind off a sharp rising delivery for eight.
Babar was caught by Hope off paceman Thomas to leave Pakistan in deep trouble at 62-4 in the 14th over.
Holder removed skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed, Imad Wasim and Hasan Ali in the space of nine balls for just three runs.
Some late hitting from Riaz took Pakistan over the 100-mark but they face a heavy defeat.
Fast bowler Amir is making his World Cup debut for Pakistan. He missed the 2011 and 2015 World Cups due to a five-year spot-fixing ban.
BSS/AFP/MMA/1822HRS