Pakistan Finds Unlikely Hero to Avoid Clean Sweep in New Zealand T20 Series

Pakistan defied expectations and a sub-par pitch to avoid a clean sweep in the five-match T20 series against New Zealand, winning the final match by 42 runs on Sunday.

Chasing a modest 134-8, New Zealand crumbled to 92 all out, their lowest T20 international total at home. The unlikely hero for Pakistan was Iftikhar Ahmed, who hadn’t bowled in eight T20s and hadn’t taken a wicket since 2022. But on a turning pitch, he ripped through the Kiwi batting with 3-24, his career-best figures.

“I just read the wicket,” Iftikhar said through captain Shaheen Afridi. “It was turning, so I just tried to bowl wicket-to-wicket, and that was the key to success.”

While the win provided a welcome respite from the looming threat of a 5-0 whitewash, Pakistan still has work to do before the T20 World Cup later this year.

Veteran batsmen Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan remain the backbone of the batting, but their struggles on Sunday (Babar scored only 13) highlighted the need for greater depth.

The 4-1 series loss follows a 3-0 test series defeat to Australia, and Pakistan has now won just one of its last nine T20 series. Sunday’s match was a testament to the bowlers’ resilience, but questions remain about the batting’s ability to adapt to different conditions.

After handing 20-year-old Haseebullah Khan his international debut, Pakistan saw the youngster depart early. Babar and Rizwan put on 52 for the second wicket, but the runs came at a snail’s pace (29-1 after six overs, 53-2 after 10). Fakhar Zaman’s 33 off 15 added some impetus, but with Rizwan out for 38, Pakistan’s innings lacked the usual fireworks.

New Zealand, eyeing a series sweep, started with confidence. But Rashid Ravindra’s early dismissal and Finn Allen’s modest 22 set the tone for a shaky chase.

Tim Seifert and Will Young fell cheaply, and by the time Mark Chapman was run out, New Zealand were struggling at 54-4. Glenn Phillips offered a glimmer of hope with 26 off 22, but his dismissal in the 18th over sealed the Black Caps’ fate.

Pakistan had a win but it was bittersweet, provides a much-needed confidence boost. However, the series loss and recent struggles raise questions about their batting’s vulnerability and their ability to adapt to different conditions. With the World Cup looming, Pakistan has a lot to ponder before they take the field again.