Chasing 159 to win, Hales hit seven fours in a controlled and mature knock in his first England appearance since 2019, when he was dropped from the World Cup squad for off-field issues.

His fifty gave England a platform for victory, with Harry Brook making 42 not out off 25 balls in just his fifth T20 to guide the tourists home with four balls to spare in Karachi.

Earlier Pakistan made 158-7, with Mohammad Rizwan striking 68 from 46 balls, while opening partner and captain Babar Azam added 31 off 24.

Wood was supported by Adil Rashid, who took 2-27, including the key wicket of Babar with a brilliant googly to end an 85-run opening stand.

The match was England's first in the country for 6,118 days, since a Test and one-day international tour in December 2005.

No countries toured Pakistan for six years after an attack by gunmen on the Sri Lanka team bus in 2009, with sides returning sporadically since 2015.

England were due to tour last winter, but withdrew after New Zealand's men abandoned their tour of Pakistan because of a security threat.

The second game in the seven-match series, which is a build-up to the T20 World Cup in Australia in October and November, is on Thursday at 15:30 BST.

Hales has admitted he thought his chances of playing for England again may have gone during his three-year exile, but a loss of form for Jason Roy and a serious leg injury to Jonny Bairstowhas presented the 33-year-old with another opportunity, according to BBC.

His knock combined power, touch and excellent placement as the right-hander latched onto any width, dropping deep in his crease to cut to the off-side boundary on numerous occasions.

He was dropped on 28 by Shan Masood after miscuing a slog-sweep, but made the most of his reprieve, and was frustrated when he chipped to cover the ball after reaching his fifty, with England just needing 17 to win.

"It's a very special feeling to get back out on the park for England - three years felt like forever but to get a fifty on my return in a winning team is the stuff dreams are made of," said Hales.

"There are always nerves and pressure after having not played for England for three years, it felt like a debut again, so a very special night.

"I've spent a lot of time in Pakistan over the last few years and it means a lot to me so to be part of the first England tour here in such a long time is an incredibly special feeling."

Hales shared 34-run partnerships with Trent Rockets team-mate Dawid Malan and Ben Duckett, playing his first T20 since 2019, but the telling partnership was the 55 he put on with Brook.

Yorkshire's Brook, 23, had shown glimpses of his talent in his first four games without a particularly telling contribution and started patiently here before targeting Shahnawaz Dahani in the 15th over, BBC reported.

The tourists needed 52 from 36 balls but Brook ramped the first ball for four, before two more boundaries followed, as the game swung firmly in England's favour.

The next over went for 13, including a gorgeous straight drive over mid-off by Brook, and despite the wicket of Hales, Brook and stand-in captain Moeen Ali saw England over the line.