Shoaib Malik and Asif Ali’s late-over heroics led Pakistan to the second consecutive victory against New Zealand in the Super 12 Stage of the T20 World Cup on Tuesday. Pakistan beat New Zealand by 5 wickets.
Pakistan produced another disciplined bowling display to limit New Zealand to 134-8.
Boosted after their brilliant performance in the 10-wicket win over arch-rivals India on Sunday, Pakistan were this time led by fast bowler Haris Rauf who finished with 4-22.
Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell were joint top-scorers with 27 each while skipper Kane Williamson made a laborious 26-ball 25.
Pakistan applied the pressure right from the start as left-arm paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi, whose three wickets against India earned him player of the match, bowled a maiden first over.
New Zealand reached 36 without loss when Rauf bowled Martin Guptill off his pads for 17. He also accounted for Conway and Glenn Phillips (13) in one over as New Zealand failed to lift the tempo at any stage.
Haris Rauf with his pace and variation stunned the Black Caps, registering his career-best figure 4-22.
Rauf also dismissed Mitchell Santner (six) with the last ball of the final over.
Shaheen finished with 1-21 while spinners Mohammad Hafeez and Imad Wasim also took a wicket each.
Pakistan kept the same team that won against India.
In a tweet, Australian great and Pakistan’s batting consultant for the World Cup, Matthew Hayden said, “Young Haris Rauf is an exciting prospect – just cut him loose with some great pace! That’s the strength of Pakistan cricket in the field.”
Daryl Mitchell and Devon Conway topped the score for New Zealand both adding 27 to the total.
The 19th fixture of the T20 World Cup 2021 sets Pakistan and New Zealand against each other at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Earlier New Zealand cricket team coach Gary Stead had suggested his players to not give any heed to the hype around the Twenty20 World Cup opener against Pakistan.
The fixture carried more significance since the Kiwis abruptly abandoned their Pakistan tour earlier this month.
On September 17, the Kiwis had made an absurd decision to unilaterally withdraw from the much-anticipated tour of Pakistan minutes before the first ODI, citing a ‘security threat’. More raving was the fact that New Zealand management denied giving the exact reasons for the abandonment.
