<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Pakistan celebrated skipper Babar Azam's 100th international match in the shortest format with a clinical 88-run win in the first Twenty20 against New Zealand in Lahore on Friday.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Azam failed with just nine runs but Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub scored 47 runs each and put on a 79-run partnership for the third wicket to anchor Pakistan to 182 all out in 19.5 overs.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fast bowler Haris Rauf, one of five players who returned after being rested in Pakistan's last series against Afghanistan, took career best figures of 4-18 as New Zealand were 94 all out in 15.3 overs.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Left-arm spinner Imad Wasim finished with 2-2 in his only over -- taking both his wickets off successive deliveries.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mark Chapman top-scored with 27-ball 34 inclusive of four boundaries and a six while skipper Tom Latham made 24-ball 20.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rauf's previous best T20 figures of 4-22 had also come against New Zealand in Sharjah in 2021.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Azam praised his bowling unit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"The pitch was assisting the bowlers so it was a good batting performance to get that total and then our complete bowling unit was excellent," said Azam, happy at reaching a personal landmark.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I had never expected this. I still remember the journey of starting off here as a ball-boy on the side-lines, and to now be here, it is a huge honour," said Azam of serving as a ball-boy during the 2007 series against South Africa.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Latham said his team did not adapted to the different conditions.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We did not quite adapt to the conditions early enough," said Latham whose team are missing top eight players due to Indian Premier League.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"On that surface, the score was slightly above-par. We did not build partnerships with the bat."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Earlier, Zaman and Ayub lifted Pakistan from a poor start after they won the toss and batted.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Pakistan lost both their openers -- Mohammad Rizwan leg-before for eight and then Azam bowled -- to pacer Adam Milne by the fifth over for just 30.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ayub lifted the tempo with two boundaries each off Milne and Ben Lister before he and Zaman hit a six each off spinner Ish Sodhi in the tenth over.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Zaman struck four boundaries and two sixes in his 34-ball knock while Ayub's rapid 28-ball innings featured two sixes and six fours.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ayub was run out while taking a second run before Zaman was caught at deep square-leg off Sodhi.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Faheem Ashraf hit a 16-ball 22 while Wasim scored 16 off 13 balls to help Pakistan add 47 runs in the last five overs.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">New Zealand pacer Matt Henry took a hat trick in his figures of 3-32.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Henry dismissed Shadab Khan (five) and Iftikhar Ahmed (nought) off the last two deliveries of his third over and then Shaheen Shah Afridi with the first of his fourth.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Lister had figures of 2-30 while Milne finished with 2-51.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The remaining four matches are in Lahore on April 15 and April 17 and Rawalpindi on April 20 and 24. AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>