New Zealand inflicted a 46-run defeat on Pakistan in the first T20I at Auckland’s Eden Park, marking the beginning of Shaheen Shah Afridi’s tenure as T20I captain with a loss on Friday.
Despite Saim Ayub’s impressive innings, scoring 27 off just 8 balls, the Pakistani team faltered in their pursuit of the target, unable to convert a promising start into a victory.
With the score at 130-4 in 12.4 overs, Pakistan still had a chance, but Azam Khan’s disappointing performance with the bat added to the visitors’ challenges.
Fakhar Zaman (15 off 10), Iftikhar Ahmed (24 off 17), and Azam Khan (10 off 9) were the underperformers for the Men in Green with the bat.
Former captain Babar Azam was the top scorer for Pakistan, contributing 57 runs off 35 balls, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the challenging total set by the Black Caps.
Tim Southee, who achieved his 150th T20I wicket, took three wickets, while Adam Milne and Ben Sears claimed two each.
In the first innings, Daryl Mitchell and Kane Williamson were the top performers for New Zealand, scoring 57 and 61 runs, respectively.
Williamson, who was dropped by Babar Azam at 11, capitalized on the opportunity, playing a vital role in the team’s impressive total.
While Williamson’s strike rate was not exceptional at 135.71, other players like Finn Allen (35 off 15) and Mitchell (61 off 27) played aggressively, with strike rates of 233 and 255, respectively.
Mark Chapman added a quick 26 off 11 deliveries down the order, contributing to New Zealand’s imposing total.
Pakistan’s bowlers faced a tough challenge, with Abbas Afridi and Haris Rauf maintaining a decent economy of 8.50 each. Afridi, despite a strong start with a wicket in the first over, conceded 46 runs while taking three wickets.
Aamer Jamal conceded 56 runs, and Usama Mir was hit for 51 runs in four overs.
Playing XI:
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan (wk), Aamir Jamal, Usama Mir (Debut), Shaheen Afridi (c), Abbas Afridi (Debut), Haris Rauf.
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), Kane Williamson (c), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Adam Milne, Matthew Henry, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Ben Sears.
(Islamabad51_Newsdesk)
