Babar Azam continues red-hot form to give Pakistan lead in T20 series against Zimbabwe

Captain hits 82 in six-wicket win in Rawalpindi on Saturday

Pakistan captain Babar Azam hit a match-winning fifty in the first T20 against Zimbabwe at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on Saturday. AP

Pakistan's captain Babar Azam plays drive in the first T20 in Rawalpindi. AFP

Pakistan's Mohammad Hafeez is bowled out by Zimbabwe's Blessing Muzarabani during the first T20 in Rawalpindi. AFP

Pakistan batsmen Babar Azam, left, and Mohammad Hafeez during the first T20. AP

Mohammad Hafeez scored 36 in the first T20 on Saturday. AP

Zimbabwe's pacer Blessing Muzarabani, center, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Pakistan batsman Fakhar Zaman. AP

Zimbabwe's Wesley Madhevere, left, and Elton Chigumbura run between the wickets. AFP

Zimbabwe's Sean Williams is bowled during the first T20 against Pakistan. EPA

Pakistan's wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan tries to run out Zimbabwe's Elton Chigumbura. AFP

Pakistan's Haris Rauf celebrates after the dismissal of Zimbabwe's Ryan Burl. AFP

Captain Babar Azam hit a quickfire half-century to lead Pakistan's six-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the first T20 in Rawalpindi on Saturday.

Azam proved yet again why he is one of the top batsmen in white-ball cricket with an attractive 55-ball 82 to anchor Pakistan's chase of a 157-run target in 18.5 overs.

The win gave Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the three-match series and a 12th straight victory over Zimbabwe in all T20 cricket.

Wesley Madhevere struck a maiden half-century to lead Zimbabwe to 156-6 after they won the toss and batted.

Azam, determined to regain his place as Twenty20's top batsman – which he lost to England's Dawid Malan two months ago – struck nine boundaries and a six during his 80-run stand for the third wicket with Mohammad Hafeez, who made 36.

Azam was finally caught in the 17th over, as was Hafeez in the 19th, but the target was never beyond Pakistan. It was the captain's third successive fifty-plus score to go with knocks of 125 and 77 not out in the previous two ODIs.

Paceman Blessing Muzarabani finished with 2-26.

Zimbabwe, who upset Pakistan in the third one-day international at the end of their 2-1 loss in the preceding series, were never able to stop Azam's free-flowing stroke play despite dismissing Fakhar Zaman (19) and Haider Ali (7) by the eighth over.

Earlier, Zimbabwe added 46 in the last five overs with Madhevere in the lead.

Madhevere struck a 48-ball 70 not out with nine boundaries and a six to help Zimbabwe post a respectable total.

Madhevere, who had only four runs in his previous two T20 appearances, added 34 runs for the sixth wicket with Elton Chigumbura, who made a 13-ball 21 with a six and two boundaries.

Sean Williams (25) and Brendan Taylor (20) were the other contributors.

For Pakistan, pacemen Haris Rauf and Wahab Riaz took two wickets apiece.

Pakistan gave a Twenty20 international debut to 27-year-old spinner Usman Qadir, son of the great Abdul Qadir, who died last year. The teams will meet again at the same venue on Sunday and Tuesday.