Left-hander Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Amir shared five wickets to defeat New Zealand for a paltry 90 runs before Mohammad Rizwan sealed the win for Pakistan in the chase won the second match of ‘2020’ held in Rawalpindi on Saturday. Shaheen led the attack with 3-13 while Amir, who returned to international cricket after nearly four years, finished with 2-13 as the visitors were bowled out for 18.1 overs after being sent to bat. Rizwan completed 45 off 34 balls with six and four boundaries to ensure Pakistan chased down a modest target in 12.1 overs to win by seven wickets and win in five games. Leading 1-0.
The first match, also in Rawalpindi, fell apart after just two matches on Thursday.
New Zealand did fight back with the wickets of Syam Ayub (4), Babar Azam (14) and debutant Usman Khan (7) but Mohammad I Irrfan Khan (18 runs) teamed up with Rizwan to seal the win with an unfinished 36 runs.
Ayub hit a boundary on the first ball of the first over and then gave a return catch to pacer Ben Lister in the next over when Azam was caught by opposing skipper Michael Michael Bracewell stumbled and Usman was bowled by spinner Ish Sodhi.
Azam attributed the start of the match to his bowling.
“It’s crucial to set the tone for the first six games on this pitch,” said Azam, who was packed with 16,000 spectators at the Pindi Stadium over the weekend.
“Naseem, Shaheen and Amir bowled really well and helped us get wickets early on.”
Bracewell expressed regret over the failed at-bat.
“We didn’t score enough,” Bracewell said. “We were a little slow to adapt to the ground and ended up putting pressure on ourselves. We have a game tomorrow and we need to learn quickly.”
Earlier, Aamir, who made his return to international cricket after nearly four years, shocked New Zealand in his opening match.
Amir retired suddenly in 2020 after being dropped from the team, the second breakthrough of his career after serving a five-year ban in 2010 over a match-fixing scandal.
Spinners Abrar Ahmed (2-15) and Shadab Khan (2-15) put double the pressure on New Zealand as they finished in the shortest spell of the game. The second-lowest total in the format against Pakistan.
Mark Chapman (19), Cole McConchie (15), Dean Foxcroft (13) and Tim Seifert (13) were the only hitters to reach double figures. golfer.
Chapman hit three boundaries in his 16-ball knock.
The lowest total score in the T20I between New Zealand and Pakistan was 80, which was played in Christchurch in 2010.
Fast bowler Naseem Shah, also playing for the first time since sustaining a shoulder injury in September last year, took 1-27 in four overs.
Both teams are preparing for the Twenty20 World Cup to be held in June in the United States and West Indies.
The New Zealand team has lost many of its top players due to participation in the ongoing Indian Premier League, absences and injuries.
The remaining matches will be played in Rawalpindi on Sunday and the final two matches will be played in Lahore on April 25 and 27.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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