Historic Clean Sweep: Nawaz and Ayub Star as Pakistan Crushes Australia 3-0

LAHORE — Pakistan completed a resounding 3-0 whitewash of Australia on Sunday, February 1, 2026, delivering a massive 111-run defeat to the visitors at the Gaddafi Stadium. The victory marks Pakistan’s first T20I series clean sweep over Australia since 2018 and sets a dominant tone just days before the T20 World Cup.

Defending a monumental total, all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz decimated the Australian batting lineup with career-best figures of 5/18.

• The Collapse: Australia was bundled out for a mere 96 runs in 16.5 overs—their lowest-ever total against Pakistan.
• Key Scalps: Nawaz dismissed heavy hitters Marcus Stoinis (23) and Cameron Green (22), who were the only Australians to reach double figures.
• Early Pressure: Shaheen Shah Afridi set the tone by bowling Australian captain Mitchell Marsh for just 1 in the opening over.

Record-Breaking Batting Performance

Earlier, Pakistan posted 207/6, their highest-ever T20I total against Australia, fueled by clinical performances from the top and middle order:

• Saim Ayub (56): The young opener provided a blistering start with 6 fours and 2 sixes.
• Babar Azam (50):* Playing an anchor role, Babar scored an unbeaten half-century, surpassing Virat Kohli’s record for the most 50+ scores in T20 Internationals (marking his 40th fifty).
• Shadab Khan (46 off 19): In a late-innings explosion, Shadab smashed five sixes, propelling the score past the 200-mark.

Political & Global Context

The victory was celebrated at the highest levels, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praising PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and the team for their “unmatched passion.”

However, the triumph remains overshadowed by the ongoing T20 World Cup controversy. Shortly after the match, the government issued a formal directive:

• Selective Participation: Pakistan will travel to Sri Lanka for the World Cup but will not play India on February 15 in protest of the ICC’s treatment of Bangladesh.
• Captain’s Stance: Salman Ali Agha, who captained the series win, confirmed the team would abide by the government’s decision, focusing instead on their remaining three group matches.

The Pakistan squad departed for Colombo on Monday morning to begin their World Cup campaign. 

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