LAUDERHILL, United States (CMC) — West Indies’ struggles in T20 cricket showed no signs of easing as they suffered a 14-run defeat against Pakistan in the first Twenty20 at Broward County Stadium on Thursday.

The loss marked their 17th defeat in the last 19 T20 matches, leaving captain Shai Hope searching for answers.

Pakistan posted a competitive 178-6, thanks to a solid 57 from Saim Ayub, while Shamar Joseph, who bagged 3-30, was the pick of the West Indies bowlers.

In response, the hosts could only muster 164-7, with Johnson Charles and debutant Jewel Andrew top-scoring with 35 each. Mohammad Nawaz 3-23 and Ayub 2-20 stifled the chase with disciplined spin bowling.

A visibly frustrated Hope pinpointed inconsistency across all departments as the root of the team’s struggles.

“Right now, we just need more consistent performance in all three areas of the game. We need to bowl well, field well, and bat well, something we haven’t been doing consistently as a team. To turn things around, we have to improve in all aspects.”

Reflecting on the chase, Hope acknowledged that the target was achievable but lamented the high number of dot balls, which amounted to nearly 60 across the innings.

“If we had converted 20 of those dots into singles, it could have been a different game. Against quality spinners on a slow, grippy pitch, the rotation of the strike is crucial. We have to be smarter in building innings and minimising risky shots.”

Amid the disappointment, Hope praised 18-year-old debutant Jewel Andrew, who showed composure at the top of the order.

“He’s a quality player, and you can see the class. He’s proven he belongs at this level, and he has all the shots. Now it’s about learning how to construct innings and grow as a batter. If he keeps working hard, he could become a legend of the game.”

The second match in the series gets underway at the same venue on Saturday.

SCOREBOARD

Pakistan

Sahibzada Farhan lbw b Joseph 14

Saim Ayub lbw b Holder 57

Fakhar Zaman c Shepherd b Joseph 28

Hasan Nawaz c Charles b Hosein 24

Mohammad Nawaz c Motie b Shepherd 9

*Salman Agha not out 11

Faheem Ashraf c Holder b Joseph 15

+Mohammad Haris not out 6

Extras (lb6, w8) 14

Total (six wickets; 20 overs) 178

Did not bat: Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem.

Fall of wickets: 1-26, 2-107, 3-110, 4-136, 5-150, 6-172.

Bowling: Blades 2-0-24-0, Holder 4-0-35-1, Hosein 4-0-31-1, Joseph 4-0-30-3, Chase 3-0-23-0, Shepherd 3-0-29-1.

West Indies

Johnson Charles c +Haris b M Nawaz 35

+Jewel Andrew c Zaman b M Nawaz 35

*Shai Hope c H Nawaz b Ayub 2

Gudakesh Motie c Ayub b M Nawaz 0

Sherfane Rutherford c Zaman b Ayub 11

Roston Chase c Farhan b Afridi 5

Romario Shepherd b Muqeem 12

Jason Holder not out 30

Shamar Joseph not out 21

Extras (lb2, w11) 13

Total (seven wickets; 20 overs) 164

Did not bat: Akeal Hosein, Jediah Blades.

Fall of wickets: 1-72, 2-75, 3-75, 4-77, 5-92, 6-110, 7-110.

Bowling: Afridi 4-0-27-1, M Nawaz 4-0-23-3, Rauf 4-0-41-0, Ashraf 2-0-31-0, Muqeem 4-0-20-1, Ayub 2-0-20-2.

Result: Pakistan won by 14 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Player-of-the-Match: Saim Ayub.

Umpires: Deighton Butler, Leslie Reifer.

TV Umpire: Zahid Bassarath.

Reserve Umpire: Gregory Brathwaite

Match Referee: Richie Richardson.

Pakistan and West Indies players and match officials shake hands at the end of the first Twenty20 International cricket match at Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium in Lauderhill, United States, on July 31, 2025. Photos: AFP

HOPE… to turn things around, we have to improve in all aspects