Pakistan’s Saim Ayub plays a shot during the first T20 cricket match between Pakistan and Australia, in Lahore, Pakistan, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo) LAHORE: All-rounder Saim Ayub starred in Pakistan’s spin-assisted win over Australia in the first Twenty20 international in Lahore on Thursday.Ayub top-scored Pakistan’s 168-8 with a 22-ball 40 that included two sixes and three fours, while Salman Agha added four sixes and a four in his 27-ball 39.The tourists managed 146-8 in their 20 overs with the spinners taking six wickets for Pakistan.
Shivam Dube Press Conference: On changing mindsets, reading bowlers and dominating the middle innings
With the ball, Ayub dismissed Australian openers Matthew Short (five) and Travis Head, who hit two sixes and two fours in his 13-ball 23. Cameroon Green resisted with a 31-ball 36 but Australia succumbed to spin with Abrar Ahmed taking 2-10 while Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan took a wicket each.Both the teams were tuning up for the World Twenty20, which starts in India and Sri Lanka from February 7.Pakistan captain Agha praised the team effort.“It was a great match with a complete team effort,” said Agha. “We started well with the bat but couldn’t finish the way we wanted.“After the first 10 overs it started to get tough when the ball stopped hitting the bat, but I think we were excellent with the ball.Head, deputizing for regular captain Mitchell Marsh, who was rested, expressed his disappointment with the batting. “It was disappointing, but that’s the way batting goes sometimes,” Head said. “We felt like we pulled it off well after the first 10 overs but as the ball got softer it became harder to score.Earlier, Ayub led Pakistan’s batting after the home team won the toss and elected to bat.Paceman Xavier Bartlett shocked Pakistan by dismissing Sahibzad Farhan on the first ball of the match.But Ayub and Agha revived the innings with a second-wicket stand of 74, but spinner Adam Zampa hampered Pakistan’s progress at 4-24.Zampa dismissed Ayub and Agha in successive overs before accounting for Babar Azam (24) and Usman Khan (18).Debutant Mahli Beardman finished with 2-33 as Pakistan managed just 31 in the last five overs.The last two matches are also in Lahore on Saturday and Sunday.
