Pakistan beat New Zealand by five wickets to keep their spotless record in the 2021 T20 World Cup alive. They have won their first two Super 12 matches, defeating India and New Zealand. On paper, these two were their group’s hardest opponents, and they now appear to be on their way to the semi-finals.
After their convincing victory over the Kiwis, batting consultant Matthew Hayden and bowling consultant Vernon Philander, as well as fielding coach Abdul Majeed, addressed the team.
One issue that all three of them agreed on was Pakistan’s fielding, which has been excellent in both games thus far. Hayden singled out Fakhar Zaman for special mention since he helped the team save some vital runs.
Majeed appreciated their enthusiasm and noted their progress on the field throughout the World Cup.
Philander challenged the players to keep working hard and believe in themselves.
Therefore, Pakistan has a long history of producing world-class pacers, and this squad has demonstrated that pattern. Vernon Philander
While Shaheen Shah Afridi wreaked havoc on India with the new ball, Haris Rauf wreaked havoc on New Zealand. In his player of the match effort, he claimed four scalps.
Rauf earned Pakistan’s first breakthrough with the dangerous Martin Guptill. Before taking three last-ditch wickets to keep New Zealand to 134/8.
Babar Azam
With their bats, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan had stolen the show against India. In Sharjah, though, it was a team effort. As they maintained their composure despite losing wickets in short succession to finish the chase on a challenging pitch.
Rizwan anchored with a 34-ball 33 after Babar fell in the powerplay, while Fakhar Zaman struggled with a 17-ball 11.
Mohammad Hafeez got off to a terrific start, blasting his opening delivery for a six, but was caught in the deep by Devon Conway.
Veteran batsman Shoaib Malik, on the other hand, helped Pakistan keep the ship afloat. Despite the fact that Rizwan and Imad Wasim collided in a small space, he was able to assist them with a 20-ball 26.
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