Shaheen says, “We needed to win as a team to move forward towards the T20 World Cup.” To avoid a five-match series rout, Pakistan pulled off a dramatic turnaround by defeating New Zealand in the last Twenty20 International. skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi expressed relief at finishing his maiden spell as skipper on a winning note, even though the team lost the series 4-1.
Pakistan needed to win badly since they had collapsed in the previous games, and Shaheen underlined that the team needed to come together as a unit.
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Against Pakistan’s excellent spin bowling, the hosts, New Zealand, collapsed for a meager 92 runs and were unable to reach the mark of 134-8. Due to the absence of important players like Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, and Kane Williamson, the Black Caps struggled with a reduced batting order.
Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, and Shaheen Shah Afridi were crucial in preventing New Zealand from amassing the second-lowest T20 total ever on home turf. Iftikhar Ahmed, who was first used in the series as a part-time off-spinner, put up a career-best showing with figures of 3-24.
Pakistan’s approach of investigating several possibilities was well, demonstrating their richness of bowling resources. The team’s emphasis on developing new players and getting ready for the T20 World Cup in June was emphasized by Captain Afridi.
Mitchell Santner, the captain of New Zealand, praised the team’s overall performance in the series but admitted that they still needed to work on their chasing techniques. He identified encouraging signals, with different players stepping up at different periods, despite the final game loss.
Future international matches for Pakistan include a five-T20 series at home against New Zealand in April, while New Zealand is preparing for a two-Test home series against South Africa. Pakistan’s victory in the final Twenty20 International gives them more confidence as they continue to get ready for the forthcoming T20 World Cup.
