T20: Babar Azam helps Pak defeat England

A lightning-fast opening stand of 150 in 15 overs between Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan set up Pakistan’s 31-run win over England in the first Twenty20 at Trent Bridge.

Captain Azam hit 85 from 49 balls and Rizwan 63 from 41 in a Pakistan record total of 232-6.

England lost four wickets in the first seven overs, and its hopes flickered thanks only to Liam Livingstone with a career-best 103. But he was the seventh man out in the 17th over and England was soon all out for 201 with four balls left.

England’s senior stars returned from self-isolation but failed to copy the domination their second-string achieved against Pakistan in the one-day international series.

While England’s big boys sat out the ODIs because of a coronavirus outbreak, a makeshift side of county players and fringe internationals overwhelmed Pakistan 3-0. With isolation over, only four of the B side were retained and none managed to contribute much.

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