Pakistan bowled Ireland not in for just 96 on the way to a seven-wicket win in the first one-day worldwide at Stormont here on Saturday to go 1-0 up in the two-game chain.
Left-arm paceman Junaid Khan, in only his fifth game at this level took four wickets for 12 runs in five overs before off-spinner Saeed Ajmal refined off the tail with three for seven in three.
World Cup semi-finalists Pakistan made light of the blustery conditions, despite having arrived from the West Indies immediately 48 hours former and finding a drop in heat of 20 degrees.
It was all a far cry for Ireland, cricket’s foremost non-Test nation, from a World Cup campaign where only two months ago they beat England with a record follow of 328.
Pakistan’s cause was helped by charming the toss in a rain-delayed match and bowling first, with Ireland’s batsmen unable to manage with the swinging and seaming ball.
Junaid Khan, just 21 years old, proved as well hot for the hosts and Saeed Ajmal finished off the end with three wickets for seven runs in three overs.
When Pakistan were set a revised victory goal of 95 in 36 overs, the batsmen did not have to take any risks and the Test match opportunity pair of Mohammad Hafeez and Taufeeq Iqbal used all their know-how to tame the fervent Ireland attack.
When the first wicket locate reached 73, it looked as if it would be a 10 wickets win but Alex Cusack found a good length and his pressure group off the pitch had Taufeeq well caught low down at slip.
Cusack then had Hafeez bowled the ball after bringing up his fifty in 83 balls, including a six and eight fours, before removing Asad Shafiq caught at the rear. Australia-born all-rounder Cusack took three for 13.
Misbah-ul-Haq, in his first match as head of the Pakistan one-day team, hit the winning border, with man-of-the-match honours going to Junaid.
The match started as a 38 overs per side game and another rain break reduced the challenge by a extra two overs.
At that stage Ireland were in trouble at 76 for six and it would have been even worse but for a hurricane 39 from 22 balls by Paul Stirling.
The Middlesex opener hit seven fours and a six, including 19 off Tanvir Ahmed’s second over which took him out of the attack.
But when he was out, skying Junaid into the covers, in the sixth over, his team-mates folded with virtually no battle.
Apart from Stirling, only Gary Wilson (11) and Kevin O’Brien (15), the hero against England with the fastest-ever World Cup century, reached double figures for Ireland.
Such was Pakistan’s dominance, even Younis Khan was given a rare bowl.
He got in the midst of the wickets when he had John Mooney caught in the gully but at that stage Pakistan were well on their way to going 1-0 up in a series that concludes here on Monday.
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