Last Updated on 1 month by Charbel Coorey
Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand began in difficult fashion, bundled out for 91 in the opening T20I at Christchurch. The visitors were all but out of the contest in the powerplay, mustering 14/4 after being reduced to 1/3 in the first 2.2 overs.
Man of the match Kyle Jamieson (3/8) and Jacob Duffy (4/14) were too good for the inexperienced Pakistani top order. Both quicks got the ball to shape away consistently, causing all sorts of problems against batters who were very indecisive against deliveries in the channel.
Captain Salman Agha (18) and Khushdil Shah (32) led a small recovery with a 46-run stand. However, it could have been much worse with both dropped early, before the visitors crawled to 91 in 18.4 overs in another tough outing following their disappointing performances in ICC events.
The Black Caps made light work of the target. Tim Seifert enjoyed the majority of the strike for his 29-ball 44. Finn Allen (29* off 17 balls) and Tim Robinson (18* off 15 balls) finished off the job with a huge 59 balls to spare.
Reactions to Pakistan 91 all-out: Time for panic or patience?
Adam Bell, close follower of Pakistan cricket and host of The Cricketeers NZ Podcast, believes fans should be patient with this new-look lineup.
“Hope Pakistan fans are keeping some perspective. An inexperienced batting line up in unfamiliar conditions was always going to be challenging. Remember NZ were bowled out for 90 in Pindi last year,” he wrote.
Pakistan cricket correspondent Behram Qazi shares a similar view. “I’m all here to give this team time, and be patient with them. Changing your approach is not an overnight process. Bilaterals don’t matter. That’s what they’re there for,” he wrote.
However, other fans have taken a different view. Pakistan have struggled in T20Is for some time, unable to beat higher-ranked opposition. New Zealand also have inexperienced players, so Pakistan should be performing a lot better.
Here are some of the reactions to Pakistan’s heavy nine-wicket defeat to kickstart the five-match T20I series.
The second T20I will be played in Dunedin on Tuesday. It is also an afternoon game (2:15pm start local time), and Pakistan will be looking for a positive turnaround after a tough loss.
