Tag: PAK vs NZ

Saturday’s weather forecast for Rawalpindi, scheduled to host the second T20I between Pakistan and New Zealand, indicated clear and sunny conditions. 

According to AccuWeather, the weather will remain clear and there are no further chances of rain on Saturday, indicating a potency of uninterrupted action at the Pindi Cricket Stadium.

The temperature here would range from 22-20 degrees Celsius with strong wind gusts, as high as 22 km/h, also expected.

For the unversed, the highly-anticipated first T20I between Pakistan and New Zealand was called off due to persistent rain here.

Only a two-ball action was possible at the picturesque Pindi Cricket Stadium as the rain returned after Shaheen Shah Afridi’s early wicket.

As soon as it started raining again, the on-field umpires shook hands with the players and decided to call off the match.

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The toss of the anticipated fixture between Pakistan and New Zealand was also delayed for about half an hour. New Zealand’s captain Michael Bracewell then won the coin toss and elected to bat first.

Soon after, players from both teams gathered for the national anthems but the rain returned, causing the action to be delayed further.

The second spell of rain was heavier and it seemed likely that the match would be abandoned without a ball bowled.

A tireless effort from the ground staff went in vain as the rain returned again to sweep the possibility of a five-over match between Pakistan and New Zealand.

Pakistan squad

Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan (wk), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Irfan Khan Niazi, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan

Reserves: Haseebullah, Mohammad Ali, Agha Salman, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Wasim Jr.

New Zealand squad

Michael Bracewell (c), Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Will O’Rourke, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert (WK), Ish Sodhi, Tom Blundell, Zak Foulkes.

RAWALPINDI: Left-arm Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir revealed his “short-term goal” of making his return to international cricket after a gap of almost four years.

In a video released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the pacer talked about his feelings about representing his country again, stating it feels like a debut series.

“I’m coming back after almost four years and whenever you play for your country, it gives a totally different. I’m feeling as if it is my debut series,” stated Amir.

He then credited the PCB and Shaheen Shah Afridi for putting faith in his abilities and convincing him out of international retirement. He further acknowledged that he would be under pressure to fulfil their trust.

“The credit goes to PCB, team management and Shaheen. So, they brought me back with such trust, that I would be under pressure to fulfil it,” stated Amir.

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Mohammad Amir then went on to reveal that winning this year’s T20 World Cup is his ultimate goal and also that he is upbeat to help Pakistan cross the finish line, having come up short in the last two editions.

“I debuted in 2009 when Pakistan became the world champion and after that, we played the 2017 Champions Trophy final and became the champions.

“So, the PCB and team management brought me back for a short-term goal,  the World Cup and that is the biggest goal at the moment.

“Because Pakistan team has played the semi-final in 2021 and in 2022, played the final. There’s one missing [element], which is to cross the line so if that happens, that would be a very big achievement for me that I’m part of that team,” he concluded.

Mohammad Amir then went on to comment about his fitness level and asserted he feels himself better than he was in 2019.

READ: Shaheen Shah Afridi breaks Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s T20 record

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi on Thursday, broke India’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s record of most first-over wickets in T20 cricket.

Afridi achieved the milestone in the first T20I of the five-match series between Pakistan and New Zealand when he cleaned up Tim Robinson with a perfectly crafted in-swinger.

The dismissal pushed Afridi’s tally of first-over wickets to 47, leaving behind the top bowlers in the world. He is now closely followed by India’s Kumar (46), compatriot Mohammad Amir (43) and England’s David Willey, who has 42 wickets.

For the unversed, the highly-anticipated first T20I between Pakistan and New Zealand was called off due to persistent rain here.

Only a two-ball action was possible at the picturesque Pindi Cricket Stadium as the rain returned after Shaheen Shah Afridi’s early wicket.

As soon as it started raining again, the on-field umpires shook hands with the players and decided to call off the match.

The toss of the anticipated fixture between Pakistan and New Zealand was also delayed for about half an hour. New Zealand’s captain Michael Bracewell then won the coin toss and elected to bat first.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Soon after, players from both teams gathered for the national anthems but the rain returned, causing the action to be delayed further.

The second spell of rain was heavier and it seemed likely that the match would be abandoned without a ball bowled.

A tireless effort from the ground staff went in vain as the rain returned again to sweep the possibility of a five-over match between Pakistan and New Zealand.

Pakistan squad

Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan (wk), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Irfan Khan Niazi, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan

Reserves: Haseebullah, Mohammad Ali, Agha Salman, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Wasim Jr.

New Zealand squad

Michael Bracewell (c), Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Will O’Rourke, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert (WK), Ish Sodhi, Tom Blundell, Zak Foulkes.

READ: New Zealand’s training session cancelled due to weather conditions

Renowned Pakistan-based umpire Aleem Dar added another feather to his cap as he became the first umpire to officiate international cricket matches for 25 years.

Gujranwala-hailed Dar made his umpiring career debut in February 2000 when he officiated a One-Day International (ODI) fixture between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

His precision and pinpoint decisions soon brought him on the radar of the International Cricket Council (ICC), and the apex body, soon inducted him into the international panel of umpires.

He continued to flourish in the role and became a part of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires in 2002, the same year of its inception.

Aleem Dar, who won the ICC Umpire of the Year Award thrice in his decorated career, has officiated in 231 ODI matches, 145 Test matches and 70 T20 Internationals.

Notably, his tally of international matches is the highest by any umpire.

Dar also holds the record of umpiring in the most number of T20 World Cups (five).

He also supervised the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy in 2006 and 2009, Men’s ODI World Cup finals in 2007 and 2001. He was also one of the on-field umpires in the 2009 Women’s World Cup.

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Furthermore, he is the youngest umpire to officiate in 100 Test matches and is also among the top three umpires who have umpired more than 100 Test matches.

He remained a part of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires for a staggering 19 years before relinquishing his role in March 2023.

“It has been a long journey, but I have enjoyed every bit of it. I have had the pleasure and honour of umpiring the world over and what I have achieved is something I did not even dream of when I started in the profession,” Aleem Dar was quoted saying by the ICC.

“Though I am still keen to continue as an international umpire, I felt it was now the right time, after 19 years on the road to step away from the Elite panel and provide an opportunity to someone from the International Panel. My message to umpires the world over is to work hard, maintain discipline and never stop learning.

“I thank the ICC, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and my colleagues on the panel for their support over the years. I would also like to thank my family; without whose support I could not have gone on for so long. I look forward to continuing to serve the game as an umpire.”

READ: Misbah-ul-Haq advises Babar Azam to set example as captain

RAWALPINDI: The first T20I of the five-match series between Pakistan and New Zealand have been called off as adamant rainfall continued to downpour at the Pindi Cricket Stadium here on Thursday.

Only a two-ball action was possible at the picturesque Pindi Cricket Stadium as the rain returned after Shaheen Shah Afridi cleaned up Tim Robinson with a perfectly crafted in-swinger.

As soon as it started raining again, the on-field umpires shook hands with the players and decided to call off the match.

The toss of the anticipated fixture between Pakistan and New Zealand was also delayed for about half an hour. New Zealand’s captain Michael Bracewell then won the coin toss and elected to bat first.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Soon after, players from both teams gathered for the national anthems but the rain returned, causing the action to be delayed further.

The second spell of rain was heavier and it seemed likely that the match would be abandoned without a ball bowled.

A tireless effort from the ground staff went in vain as the rain returned again to sweep the possibility of a five-over match between Pakistan and New Zealand.

Pakistan squad

Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan (wk), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Irfan Khan Niazi, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan

Reserves: Haseebullah, Mohammad Ali, Agha Salman, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Wasim Jr.

New Zealand squad

Michael Bracewell (c), Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Will O’Rourke, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert (WK), Ish Sodhi, Tom Blundell, Zak Foulkes.

READ: “That will be awesome,” Rohit Sharma on Pakistan-India Test

RAWALPINDI: New Zealand have won the toss and elected to bat first against Pakistan in the first T20I of the five-match series here at Pindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

PLAYING XIs

Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Abrar Ahmed.

New Zealand: Michael Bracewell (c), Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, James Neesham, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert (wk), Ish Sodhi.

HEAD TO HEAD

Matches 39, Pakistan 21, New Zealand 17, NR 1

READ: “That will be awesome,” Rohit Sharma on Pakistan-India Test

RAWALPINDI: The toss for the first T20I of the five-match series between Pakistan and New Zealand has been delayed due to the wet outfield.

The toss was originally scheduled to take place at 7 PM Pakistan Standard Time (PST), however, persistent drizzle brought the covers back.

According to the details, the next inspection will take place at 7:15 PM.

It is worth mentioning here that the first three T20Is of the five-match series between Pakistan and New Zealand are likely to be affected by the rain.

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As per the weather forecasts, there could be heavy rain in Islamabad and Rawalpindi throughout this week.

There are 80 per cent chance of rain, during tonight’s first T20I.

The rain probability increases to 84 on April 20 before it significantly drops down to 20 per cent on April 21.

Pakistan squad

Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan (wk), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Irfan Khan Niazi, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan

Reserves: Haseebullah, Mohammad Ali, Agha Salman, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Wasim Jr.

New Zealand squad

Michael Bracewell (c), Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Will O’Rourke, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert (WK), Ish Sodhi, Tom Blundell, Zak Foulkes.

Pakistan vs New Zealand T20I series schedule

April 18 — 1st T20I, Rawalpindi

April 20 — 2nd T20I, Rawalpindi

April 21 — 3rd T20I, Rawalpindi

April 25 — 4th T20I, Lahore

April 27 — 5th T20I, Lahore

READ: Azam Khan doubtful for New Zealand series due to injury concern

Pakistan will kick off their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 preparations on Thursday at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium when they will take on New Zealand in the first of the five matches.

The venue will also host matches on Saturday and Sunday, while Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium will be the stage for the remaining two matches next week on Thursday and Saturday.

This will be the third five-match series between the two sides inside a 12-month period. Last year, Pakistan and New Zealand drew the series at two-all in Pakistan, while New Zealand clinched the series 4-1 earlier this year in their backyard.

Pakistan have named uncapped Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Irfan Khan and Usman Khan in the 17-player squad, which also sees the return of Babar Azam as the white-ball captain.

Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim are also back in national colours along with fast bowler Naseem Shah.

Naseem last played for Pakistan in the ACC Asia Cup 2023 before suffering a shoulder injury in the match against India in Colombo that sidelined him from the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 and tours of Australia and New Zealand.

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Azhar Mahmood, for the first time in his career, will be the head coach of the Pakistan men’s team. The former Test all-rounder has previously worked as the national side’s bowling coach from 2016-2019.

Babar Azam: “This five-match T20I series holds a lot of importance for us as we look forward to preparing for the all-important mega-event. We had a great fitness camp in Kakul and are looking forward to express ourselves as unit.

“New Zealand will challenge us at different points in the series, serving as a fine work out for the Pakistan side. The prospect of having a blend of youth and experience in the side excites me as a leader.”

Michael Bracewell: “I’m proud to be leading the team on this tour. We’ll look to play entertaining cricket as a side and take the game forward. Most of the players in our squad have played a lot of T20 Cricket growing up and they are very well equipped with the knowledge of this format. Pakistan are formidable side at home and we’ll look to put challenges in their backyard.”

The toss is scheduled to take place at 7 pm local time and the first will be bowled at 7:30 pm local time.

Squads:

Pakistan – Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Amir, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama Mir, Usman Khan and Zaman Khan

New Zealand – Michael Bracewell (c), Tom Blundell, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Will O’Rourke, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi and Zak Foulkes.

READ: Babar spills the beans about team combination for New Zealand T20Is

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s white-ball captain Babar Azam on Wednesday, opened up about the potency of trying different team combinations against an inexperienced New Zealand side during the five-match T20I series.

Babar interacted with the media here on the eve of Pakistan’s crucial home series, leading to this year’s T20 World Cup in the United States of America (USA) and the West Indies.

To a question regarding the opening pair for the New Zealand T20Is, Babar remained tight-lipped but revealed that there will be an almost different combination in each of the five matches.

“I think, there’s flexibility for everyone and we’ll try to give opportunities to the youngsters and test our bench strength.

“And, you’ll see a different combination in almost every match. We’ll try to check where we stand by going with different combinations, be it in batting or bowling.

Babar then went on to reveal that the national team’s ideal combination would be finalized by the upcoming away T20I series against Ireland and England.

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In response to a question regarding Pakistan’s long-standing middle-order woes, Babar Azam claimed that the inclusion of youngsters like Azam Khan and Muhammad Irfan Khan Naizi would give more depth to the team’s batting unit.

“We definitely pondered about this and thus included youngsters like Usman Khan, Irfan Niazi and Azam Khan to address the spots on which we were lacking in the past and obviously, we already had Iftikhar in the mix.

“We tried to strengthen that and after that, we have Shadab and Imad. So, in this way, our batting is getting more stronger.

“So, if we go with whatever combination, our batting [depth] goes till the eighth number and yet we would be left with Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah.”

It is worth mentioning here that Rawalpindi’s Pindi Cricket Stadium will host the opening three T20Is between Pakistan and New Zealand on 18, 20 and 21 April before action shifts to Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium where the last two matches will be played on 25 and 27 April.

Pakistan squad

Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan (wk), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Irfan Khan Niazi, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan

Reserves: Haseebullah, Mohammad Ali, Agha Salman, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Wasim Jr.

New Zealand squad

Michael Bracewell (c), Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Will O’Rourke, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert (WK), Ish Sodhi, Tom Blundell, Zak Foulkes.

READ: PCB unveils commentary panel for Pakistan-New Zealand T20Is

RAWALPINDI: Right-handed opening batter Usman Khan, a part of Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, opened up about the struggles, he faced in his career.

Hailing from Farooqabad, Usman initially moved to Sheikupura before settling in Karachi, with the hope that his talents would be better acknowledged and his career would develop.

“My brother was a first-class cricketer and played for The Karachi Port Trust (KPT). I also played for them and in my early stages of the career where I would stay in a complex and carry on with my cricket duties,” shared Usman in a video released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Despite striving hard in the metropolitan city and participation in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), the right-handed batter could not make ends meet and thus opted to relocate to Ajman, United Arab Emirates (UAE), move Ajman (UAE) where he could work and play cricket.

“I worked as a labourer at Ajman Gas while continuing to play cricket. The support from the owner was instrumental in our team winning numerous local tournaments,” shared Usman.

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The turning point of Usman Khan’s career came in 2022 when he became the local player of the T10 league and subsequently came under the radar of Andy Flower.

“Andy Flower saw me in T10 and on the basis of performances there, I played in Multan Sultans as a local player in PSL 2023.

Usman was then contracted with the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) and represented Sultans as a foreign player.

Following the conclusion of the PSL 2024, Usman Khan was approached by the PCB to consider representing his homeland.

He opted to pursue his childhood dream and was subsequently named in the Pakistan squad for the New Zealand series.

As a result, the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) slapped a five-year ban on Usman over “breaching his obligations” owed to the cricketing body.

The sanction imposed will prohibit Usman from participating in any ECB tournaments for the next five years.

READ: PCB Chairman holds meeting with Babar Azam ahead of New Zealand T20Is