Oz rout Pak by six wickets in one-off T20

Australia displayed a clinical performance against Pakistan to beat them by six wickets in their one-off Twenty20 international in Dubai on Sunday.

Off-spinner Glenn Maxwell took a career best of 3-13 and debutant Cameron Boyce recorded match figures of 2 for 10 as Australia condemned Pakistan to their fifth lowest T20 international total of 96-9 in 20 overs.

Australia knocked off the target for the loss of four wickets in 14 overs with opener David Warner hitting a robust 39-ball 53 not out that included four fours and three sixes, The Dawn reported.

Warner reverse-swept Sohaib Maqsood for a big six to complete the only half-century of the match in a low-scoring game.

Pakistan did make some inroads while defending their low total, with left-arm spinner Raza Hasan, who gave match figures of 2 for 17, dismissing skipper Aaron Finch on his individual score of five and Steve Smith on just three in an incisive four-over spell but that was not enough.

Maxwell hit three boundaries in his 17 before he fell to all-rounder Shahid Afridi but Warner and James Faulkner, who remained unbeaten on seven, saw Australia home.

Finch, captaining the T20 side for the first time, was delighted at the win. He said that is really nice, the way his side started with the ball set the tone for the game, adding that they got lucky with a couple but it's really nice to win like that.

Pakistan coach Waqar Younis blamed poor batting for his team's loss. He said that he is not worried over the loss because it was a one-off match and they had a very inexperienced batting side, which didn't come good.

Pakistan was missing key spinners Saeed Ajmal, who is suspended for an illegal bowling action, and Mohammad Hafeez, who is injured, but they failed yet again in their batting.

Only debutant Saad Nasim scored 25, while tail-enders Wahab Riaz, who scored 16, and Raza Hasan, who remained unbeaten on 13, came good in an innings which only had four boundaries and no sixes.

Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat on a spin-friendly pitch. Maxwell removed opener Awais Zia for his individual score of three, Umar Amin and Sohaib Maqsood for a duck to leave Pakistan reeling at 23-3.

Leg-spinner Boyce, one of four debutants for Australia, chipped in with the wickets of Ahmed Shahzad for his individual score of ten and Anwar Ali on five. It was left to Nasim to take Pakistan past their lowest Twenty20 total of 74 with an enterprising knock.

Riaz and Hasan helped Pakistan add 25 runs for the last two wickets. The two teams now play three ODIs with the first match in Sharjah on Tuesday, the report added.