Injury woes for Pakistan as Fakhar Zaman ruled out, but T20I series win over West Indies secured

Pakistan secured a thrilling 13-run win over the West Indies in the third and final T20I at Lauderhill, Florida on Sunday, sealing the series 2-1 after a strong opening partnership from Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub laid the foundation for victory. Opting to bat first, Pakistan posted a commanding 189/4, thanks to a 138-run opening stand between Farhan and Ayub. Farhan smashed 74 off 53 balls with five sixes and three fours, while Ayub contributed a steady 66 off 49 balls.Late wickets slowed Pakistan's charge, with Mohammad Haris (2), Hasan Nawaz (15), and Ayub himself falling in the final overs.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Chasing 190, West Indies started aggressively but faltered under pressure. Jewel Andrew (24) and Alick Athanaze (60) kept them in the hunt, but key dismissals—including captain Shai Hope for 7 and last-match hero Jason Holder for a duck—derailed the innings. Sherfane Rutherford’s fighting 51 off 31 balls wasn’t enough, as the hosts finished short at 176/9. Saim Ayub shone with both bat and ball, also picking up the key wicket of Athanaze. Prasidh Krishna took three wickets for Pakistan, effectively sealing the win. However, the victory came amid injury concerns for Pakistan. Star batter Fakhar Zaman missed the decider and has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match ODI series due to a left hamstring strain sustained while fielding in the second T20I. A follow-up assessment confirmed a minor strain, and he is set to return to Pakistan on August 4 for rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. His replacement for the ODIs is yet to be named. This is Fakhar’s second injury setback of the year. Earlier, he was ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 after a muscular strain, ironically replacing Saim Ayub at the time, who had also been recovering from injury.