Australia sweep Pakistan T20 series as Marcus Stoinis opens his shoulders | Cricket

A hamstring injury to Glenn Maxwell was the only dampener as Marcus Stoinis helped Australia beat Pakistan by seven wickets to secure a clean sheet in their three-match Twenty20 series.

All-rounder Maxwell limped off with a suspected low-grade problem in Hobart on Monday night after being injured while playing. He was not required to bat and will have almost a month to recover for the Melbourne Stars’ Big Bash League season opener against Perth on December 15.

After losing the toss, Australia bowled out Pakistan for 117 in the penultimate over before completing the chase with more than eight overs to spare. Stoinis was slow to get going before hitting five fours and five sixes, including one that reached the roof of the members’ stand at the Ninja Stadium, in an unbeaten 61 off 27 balls. It was Australia’s first sweep in a T20 series against Pakistan.

Earlier, Aaron Hardie’s career-best white-ball figures of three for 21 and Adam Zampa’s ultra-economical two for 11 ripped the heart out of Pakistan’s innings. The tourists, who rested captain and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan and quick Naseem Shah, got off to a promising start and were 61 for one in the seventh over. But it quickly fell away in a horror collapse through the middle overpass.

Babar Azam (41 off 28) top-scored but could not hold his nerve and was bowled trying to hit Zampa in the 13th over. It came after a tumultuous 24 hours for Pakistan, who were forced to deny a report that red-ball coach and interim white-ball coach Jason Gillespie had been sacked.

Australia lost openers Matthew Short (two) and Jake Fraser-McGurk (18) within the first four overs of the chase before captain Josh Inglis (27) steadied the ship. After picking up the best T20I figures by an Australian quick at the SCG on Saturday, Spencer Johnson took two for 24 and ended Pakistan’s innings bowling Sufiyan Muqeem. Johnson topped the series wicket tally with eight.

There were long queues for tickets outside the ground after the match had started due to a problem with Ticketek’s website. Attention for Australia now turns to the first Test of the summer against India, which begins on Friday.