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Pakistan lost to New Zealand by 46 runs in the first T20I at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday, January 12. Newly appointed captain Shaheen Afridi began his stint as a full-time Pakistan skipper on a losing note in the five-match T20I series.
Chasing 227, the visitors were bundled out for 180 in 18 overs. Babar Azam starred with the bat, scoring 57 runs off 35 balls, including two sixes and six boundaries. Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan, and Iftikhar Ahmed got starts but failed to consolidate.
Tim Southee starred with the ball, finishing with figures of 4/25, while Adam Milne and Ben Sears bagged two wickets apiece. Ish Sodhi also scalped one wicket.
Batting first, the Kiwis put up 226/8 in their allotted 20 overs. Daryl Mitchell and captain Kane Williamson smashed half-centuries. Finn Allen and Mark Chapman also chipped in with scores of 34 (15) and 26 (11), respectively.
Shaheen Afridi and Abbas Afridi starred with the ball, bagging three wickets apiece, while Haris Rauf took two wickets.
Fans on X (formerly Twitter) roasted Pakistan for losing the opening T20I against the BlackCaps. One user wrote:
"Chip wali ball paijaan (Ball with chip, brother)"
Here are some more reactions:
“We have to take those catches” – Shaheen Afridi disappointed with Pakistan’s fielding in 1st T20I vs New Zealand
Pakistan captain Shaheen Afridi looked disappointed with the fielding unit as they dropped multiple catches in the opening T20I against New Zealand.
He said in the post-match show:
“Proud moment to captain the team, proud moment for any player to lead his country. We played good cricket, we'll try to give our best in the next games. Williamson and Mitchell played really well. We have to take those catches, need to work on that.”
Afridi added:
“Ayub played a good knock, Abbas was impressive on his debut, those are the positives. We need to be accurate and use our variations going forward.”
The two teams will next lock horns in the second T20I at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Sunday, January 14.
Click here to check out the full NZ vs PAK 1st T20I scorecard.
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