NOTTINGHAM (England): Babar Azam led from the front as Pakistan beat England by 31 runs in the first Twenty20 international at Trent Bridge on Friday despite a blistering hundred from Liam Livingstone.
Pakistan captain Azam made 85 and shared an opening stand of 150 with Mohammad Rizwan in a national record T20 total of 232-6.
Mohammad Rizwan (63), Shaheen Afridi (3/30) and Shadab Khan (3/52) also excelled in the victory.
The series continues at Headingley on Sunday.
“Everyone took part in today’s win,” said Azam following Pakistan’s first victory of the tour after a 3-0 reverse in a one-day international series.
England kept losing wickets at regular intervals in the massive run chase. Top-scorer Liam Livingstone slammed the fastest fifty and century for England in T20Is (17-ball, 41-ball respectively). He hit 103 off 43 balls with the help of 6 fours and 9 sixes much to the entertainment of the crowd.
Livingstone’s 103 is the highest individual score for an England player in a home T20I surpassing Alex Hales’ 99 against West Indies in the last T20I hosted by Trent Bridge nine years.
Both sides have played five T20I series before the upcoming series, where England and Pakistan have won two series each.
The two teams drew the three-match series played last year in England 1-1 with one match abandoned.
Overall out of the 18 T20Is played between the two sides, Pakistan have won five games, England have won 12 matches while one match was abandoned due to rain.
