Shahid Afridi
A series of five T20 cricket matches between Pakistan and New Zealand will be played starting from 18th April. The first T20 will be played tonight at seven o’clock in Pindi Stadium, Rawalpindi. The second and third matches will also be played at the same stadium on April 20th and 21st. The fourth T20 match will be played on April 25th, and the fifth T20 match will be played on April 27th at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Good contests are expected between both countries. Pakistan will benefit from home ground advantage and local fans but New Zealand is also a strong team and Pakistan will need to work hard for victory. However in a series played on New Zealand’s soil in January, Pakistan faced a 4-1 defeat. Shaheen Shah Afridi led Pakistan in that series. The National Selection Committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board has announced a 17-member squad for the series of five T20 internationals against New Zealand.
Two new players Usman Khan and Irfan Khan have been included in the Pakistan team for the first time. The Pakistan cricket team includes Babar Azam (captain), Saime Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan, Usman Khan, Iftekhar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Irfan Khan Niazi, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Zaman Khan, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Osama Mir, Fakhar Zaman, and Abrar Ahmed.
The team’s reserves include Hasibullah, Muhammad Ali, Sahibzada Farhan, Agha Salman, and Waseem Junior.On the other hand New Zealand’s team includes Michael Bracewell, Tom Blundell, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, Cole McConchie, Zac Gibson, Jimmy Neesham, Will O’Donohue, Tom Robinson, Ben Sears, Tom Siefert, and Ish Sodhi.So far 39 T20 international matches have been played between Pakistan and New Zealand while New Zealand winning 17 matches and losing 21.
Overall, New Zealand has played 194 T20 matches, winning 99 and losing 80, while Pakistan has played 224 matches, winning 135 and losing 80. Pakistan’s highest score against New Zealand in T20 matches is 201 runs which they scored on January 25, 2018, in Auckland while New Zealand’s highest score against Pakistan is 226 runs for the loss of eight wickets on January 12, 2024, in Auckland.
Pakistan’s lowest score against New Zealand is 101 runs which they scored on January 22 2016 in Wellington where the entire team was bowled out. New Zealand’s lowest score against Pakistan is 80 runs which they scored on December 30 2010 in Christchurch where they were all out.
Overall in batting Pakistan’s Babar Azam and New Zealand’s MS Chapman are the only batsmen to have scored centuries. Chapman scored 104 runs and Azam scored 101 runs both remaining not out. Following them the highest individual score is held by Mohammad Hafeez who scored 99 runs on December 20, 2020, in Hamilton and remained not out. On the table Mohammad Rizwan is second having played an innings of 89 runs on December 22, 2020 in Napier. At third place is New Zealand’s GD Phillips who played an unbeaten inning of 87 runs on January 17, 2016 in Hamilton.In T20 matches, Babar Azam leads the overall runs and batting table against New Zealand having scored 755 runs in 21 matches at an average of 44.41.
Babar Azam has scored one century and seven half-centuries. For New Zealand KS Williamson has scored 667 runs against Pakistan in 21 matches at an average of 39.23, with his best innings being 72 runs. Williamson has scored six half-centuries against Pakistan.
At third place for Pakistan is Mohammad Rizwan who has scored 622 runs against New Zealand in 19 matches at an average of 38.87, with his best innings being 98 not out. Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez has scored 563 runs in 18 matches at an average of 37.53 with his best innings being 99 not out. Hafeez has scored three half-centuries.
On the bowling table the most wickets against Pakistan have been taken by New Zealand’s TG Southee, who has taken 38 wickets in 17 matches at an average of 17.05, giving away 18 runs and taking five wickets. Second on the table is Pakistan’s Haris Rauf, who has taken 32 wickets in 16 matches, with his best bowling figures being 18 runs and four wickets. Third is New Zealand’s IS Sodhi, who has taken 26 wickets in 13 matches with his best bowling figures being 33 runs and four wickets.
After them, Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi has taken 25 wickets in 17 matches, with his best bowling figures being 20 runs and three wickets. At fifth place is former captain Shahid Afridi who has taken 21 wickets in 18 matches at an average of 18.47, with his best bowling figures being 14 runs and four wickets.
Writer is Peshawar-based sports journalist and is General Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports Writers Association
