Pakistan’s new era in white-ball cricket got off to a disappointing start as they suffered a nine-wicket defeat against New Zealand in the opening match of the five-game T20 series on Sunday.
Led by debutant captain Salman Ali Agha, Pakistan fielded a fresh lineup following their poor performance at the Champions Trophy. However, their struggles continued as they were bowled out for just 91 in 18.4 overs—their fifth-lowest total in T20 internationals.
New Zealand comfortably chased down the target, reaching 92-1 in just 10.1 overs. Tim Seifert top-scored with 44 off 29 balls, while Finn Allen added 29 from 17. Tim Robinson remained unbeaten on 18 and sealed the victory with a two-run shot on the first ball of the 11th over.
“It was obviously tough, and we didn’t perform well,” said Ali Agha. "They bowled exceptionally in the right areas, using the swing and seam conditions to their advantage. But our batting wasn’t good enough. We have a day before the next game, and we’ll try to regroup and come back stronger.”
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Pakistan’s innings got off to a disastrous start as openers Mohammad Haris and Hasan Nawaz—replacing Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam—were both dismissed for ducks within the first eight balls.
Kyle Jamieson, returning at full fitness, was instrumental with 3-8, while Jacob Duffy starred with 4-14. Pakistan crumbled to 14-4 at the end of the powerplay, unable to counter the pace, bounce, and swing extracted by the Kiwi pacers.
“It was great to be back playing at home,” said Jamieson, who bowled 18 dot balls. "The conditions suited us well, and we just tried to capitalize on them.”
Salman and Khushdil Shah briefly revived the innings, adding 14 runs off Ish Sodhi’s over and 15 off Michael Bracewell’s, pushing the total from 28-4 after nine overs to 57-5 by the 11th. However, Duffy dismissed Khushdil for 32, and the rest of the batting lineup collapsed quickly, with only three players reaching double figures.
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Seifert powered New Zealand’s reply, hitting 12 runs in the third over and 14 in the fifth as the hosts raced to 43-1 in the powerplay. Allen, unusually cautious, managed just nine runs in the first six overs. By the 10th over, New Zealand was on the verge of victory at 90-1, needing only two more runs—though the umpires unexpectedly called for a drinks break.
The second match of the series will take place in Dunedin on Tuesday.
Source: With input from agency