West Indies hold their nerves to beat Pakistan in T20 thriller

LAUDERHILL, Fla. (AP) — Jason Holder took four wickets and then smashed a boundary off the final ball of the game to lift West Indies to a thrilling two-wicket victory over Pakistan on Saturday and level the three-match Twenty20 cricket international series.

The veteran allrounder bowled an inspired spell to take 4-19 off four overs, as Pakistan struggled to 133 for nine after it won the toss and batted in Florida.

The West Indies reply also stumbled as Pakistan's spinners kept scoring difficult but late cameos by Gudakesh Motie and Romario Shepherd kept West Indies just about in the contest before Holder's heroics off Pakistan talisman Shaheen Shah Afridi's final delivery clinched it.

It is the first T20 victory for West Indies in seven matches, a span that includes a heavy 5-0 series defeat to Australia, on top of a test series sweep last month.

“Been a tough couple of weeks for us,” captain Shai Hope said. “We always try to get better, the guys have put in a lot of hard work.

“Hopefully today is the turnaround we are looking for.”

Earlier, Hasan Nawaz’s 40 from 23 balls and captain Salman Agha’s 38 from 33 deliveries led Pakistan from a precarious 53-4 in the 10th over, but 133 looked a vulnerable target at the innings break.

Fresh from taking three wickets in Pakistan's 14-run win in the opening game at the same venue on Thursday, Mohammad Nawaz took another three Saturday, returning 3-14 from his four overs.

Like Thursday's game, West Indies found scoring more than five-an-over difficult on the spin-friendly pitch and lost regular wickets.

When Roston Chase was teased into a big shot by Saim Ayub (2-20), West Indies had sunk to 70-5 in the 14th over and looking at a steep mountain to climb.

Motie got the innings moving with his quickfire 28 from 20 balls before Shepherd chipped in with 15 from 11 balls, including taking 10 runs off Hasan Ali in the second-to-last over to give West Indies a glimpse.

Needing eight runs from the final over, Afridi (1-31) removed Shepherd off the second ball, with Holder and new batter Shamar Joseph only able to score singles off the next three balls.

Afridi then bowled a wide to leave West Indies needing three runs from the final ball. Holder (16 from 10 balls) then found the gap at backward square to score the boundary they needed and end their six T20 match losing streak.

“We’ve had a fair bit of criticism which is warranted,” player-of-the-match Holder said. “We haven’t done justice to our potential.

“We can be a lot better, consistency has definitely plagued us.”

The third T20 will be held in Lauderhill on Sunday before an ODI series in the Caribbean.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

West Indies' Jason Holder, right, reacts after taking the wicket of Pakistan's Hasan Nawaz, left, during the second Twenty20 cricket match Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in Lauderhill, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi bowls during the second Twenty20 cricket match against the West Indies Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in Lauderhill, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

West Indies' Shamar Joseph (70) and Jason Holder (98) walk off after Holder hit a game-winning four during the second Twenty20 cricket match against Pakistan, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in Lauderhill, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

West Indies' Jason Holder reacts after hitting a four to win the second Twenty20 cricket match against Pakistan, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in Lauderhill, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

West Indies' Jason Holder reacts after hitting a four to win the second Twenty20 cricket match against Pakistan, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in Lauderhill, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

West Indies' Jason Holder, right, reacts after taking the wicket of Pakistan's Hasan Nawaz, left, during the second Twenty20 cricket match Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in Lauderhill, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi bowls during the second Twenty20 cricket match against the West Indies Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in Lauderhill, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

West Indies' Shamar Joseph (70) and Jason Holder (98) walk off after Holder hit a game-winning four during the second Twenty20 cricket match against Pakistan, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in Lauderhill, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

West Indies' Jason Holder reacts after hitting a four to win the second Twenty20 cricket match against Pakistan, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in Lauderhill, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

PROVO, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 15, 2026--

Ionic Mineral Technologies ("Ionic MT"), a pioneer in developing one of the world’s most comprehensive hubs for rare earths and critical minerals, today announced the appointment of Shane Porzio as its Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective January 5, 2026. Mr. Porzio will lead the Company's operational scale-up from pilot to full commercial production of its nano-silicon, high-purity alumina, and rare earth elements derived from its proprietary Utah-based halloysite clay resources.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260115244096/en/

Mr. Porzio brings over two decades of executive leadership in global chemical and advanced materials companies, with a distinguished tenure at BASF where he served as Vice President and Global Business Head for Kaolin Minerals. In this role, he managed a global P&L across five plants and three mines, tripling EBITDA by refocusing investments into high-growth segments and securing major capital programs. His direct experience in the mining, processing, and commercial application of kaolin clay—a mineralogically similar aluminosilicate to Ionic MT's halloysite—provides a foundational understanding critical to accelerating the Company's proprietary extraction and refinement processes.

Andre Zeitoun, Founder and CEO of Ionic MT, stated, "We are thrilled to welcome Shane to the COO role in this pivotal moment for Ionic MT. His vast experience is a direct match for our mission: he has scaled mineral processing operations and commercialized disruptive materials on a global stage. His specific background in kaolin clay at BASF is invaluable, as he understands the geology, mineralogy, and processing pathways that are directly applicable to unlocking our halloysite deposits."

At Ionic MT, Mr. Porzio will be responsible for all operational facets of scaling the Company's three core product lines: rare earths, alumina, and nano-silicon. His mandate includes leading the scale-up of commercial production in Provo, establishing rigorous EH&S and quality management systems for the automotive battery sector, and driving vertical integration from feedstock to finished battery-grade material. His proven experience in post-merger integration (PMI) and capital project execution will also be key as the Company pursues strategic growth initiatives.

"I am thrilled to join Ionic MT at this inflection point," said Shane Porzio. "The Company's technology represents a genuine leap forward in sustainable critical minerals production. My experience in taking complex mineral systems from the lab to global markets, particularly with layered aluminosilicates, at multi-million-ton scale aligns perfectly with the challenge ahead. I look forward to working with Andre and the talented team to build a reliable, scalable, and cost-competitive supply chain that strengthens American energy independence."

Mr. Porzio's career includes transformational leadership roles as President & CEO of Profile Products, where he launched and scaled a new global business unit to millions in revenue within 12 months, and as Global Senior Vice President at Vantage Specialty Chemicals. He holds a Ph.D. in Polymer Science from the University of Akron, an MBA from Wake Forest University and a B.S. in Anthropology and Chemistry from Beloit College.

About Ionic Mineral Technologies

Ionic Mineral Technologies is a U.S.-based, vertically integrated producer of advanced critical materials essential to energy storage, national defense, and clean manufacturing. Backed by permitted domestic mineral resources and proprietary processing technologies, the company is scaling production of 16 rare earth and critical minerals, Ionisil™ nano-silicon, and IonAl™ high-purity alumina—three of the most strategically important components for next-generation battery and defense technologies. Ionic MT’s asset-backed, multi-product platform offers a secure and scalable alternative to geopolitically vulnerable global supply chains. Learn more at https://ionicmt.com/.

Shane Porzio, Chief Operating Officer at Ionic Mineral Technologies