ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will lock horns with New Zealand in the third T20 match between the two sides today, Sunday, at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium as both prepare for the upcoming World Cup in June.
Pakistan will head into the match confident after beating New Zealand convincingly on Saturday night by seven wickets. Pakistan’s fiery pace attack in the form of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Amir and Naseem Shah shared six wickets between themselves to bowl New Zealand out for a weak 90 within 19 overs.
“The third T20 of five-match series between Pakistan and New Zealand will be played in Rawalpindi today,” the state-run Radio Pakistan said in a report. “The match will start at 7:30 in the evening.”
Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan became the fastest T20 batter to reach 3,000 T20I runs on Saturday after his match-winning knock of 45 against New Zealand. Rizwan achieved the milestone in just 79 innings, beating his skipper Babar Azam and former Indian captain Virat Kohli who achieved the feat in 81 innings.
Pakistan were off to a shaky start in their run chase, losing the wickets of openers Saim Ayub and Azam cheaply. Ayub scored only four runs from two balls while Azam made 14 from 13 balls before he was stumped off a Michael Bracewell delivery.
Rizwan and Irfan Khan held their nerves to ensure Pakistan chased the 91-run target in 12.1 overs.
Afridi was the pick of the Pakistani bowlers, returning figures of 3/13 while Amir, making his comeback to the national squad after nearly four years, bowled impressively to finish at 2/13. Spinners Abrar Ahmed and Shadab Khan returned figures of 2/15 each while pacer Shah ended up with 1/27.
Both teams are preparing for the Twenty20 World Cup to be held in June in the United States and the West Indies.
New Zealand are missing a host of their top players due to playing in the ongoing Indian Premier League, unavailability and injuries.
The remaining matches are in Rawalpindi on Sunday followed by the last two in Lahore on April 25 and 27.
Squads:
Pakistan — Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohmmad Amir, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama Mir, Usman Khan and Zaman Khan
New Zealand — Michael Bracewell (captian), 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.
