England win T20 international on first Pakistan tour in 17 years

• With this win, England have taken a 1-0 lead in the seven-match series.
• Pakistan’s innings was once again with Rizwan.
• England sent Pakistan to bat at the capacity National Stadium.

KARACHI: A new-look England side won the first Twenty20 International by six wickets in Karachi on Tuesday, completing a memorable return to Pakistan after 17 years.

Opener Alex Hales hit a 40-ball 53 – his first international after a three-year absence over a failed recreational drug test – to chase down England’s modest target of 159 in 19.2 overs.

Pakistan opener Mohammad Rizwan scored a 46-ball 68 to help Pakistan reach 158-7 in their 20 overs as England sent them into bat at a capacity National Stadium.

With this win, England have taken a 1-0 lead in the seven-match series.

Pakistan’s players wore a special kit in the game showing their names and numbers submerged in water to show solidarity with the flood victims in the country.

England players wore black armbands in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, who died earlier this month.

Hales, recalled after Jonny Bairstow’s injury, hit seven fours and added 55 runs for the fourth wicket with Harry Brooke, who scored 42 not out.

Brooke, one of seven England players to feature in this year’s Pakistan Super League, hit seven fours in a blistering 25-ball innings.

Ben Duckett (21), David Mullan (20) and Phil Salt (ten) were England’s other assists.

Pakistan’s innings was once again with Rizwan.

Rizwan, the top run-scorer with 281 runs in the Asia Cup earlier this month, hit six fours and two sixes with captain Babar Azam (31) after England won the toss and fielded 85 for the first wicket. Make

Iftikhar Ahmed hit three sixes in his 17-ball 28 runs, but Pakistan could only score 71 runs after losing six wickets in the last ten overs.

Debutant Shaun Masood failed to score just seven runs while Hyder Ali scored eleven runs.

England debutant pacer Luke Wood took 3-24 while spinner Adil Rashid took 2-27.

The remaining matches will be played in Karachi (September 22, 23, 25) and Lahore (September 28, 30 and October 2).

Playing XI

Pakistan: Babar Azam, Muhammad Rizwan, Haider Ali, Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Muhammad Nawaz, Usman Qadir, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shahnawaz Durmani.

England: Phil Salt, Alex Hales, David Mullan, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, David Wiley, Luke Wood, Adil Rashid, Richard Gleeson