NZ vs PAK 2nd T20: New Zealand is hosting Pakistan for a five-match series. In the first match played on January 12 in Auckland (Eden Park, Auckland), the host team won over Pakistan by 46 runs and took a 1-0 lead in the series. The second match of the series will be played on Sunday, January 14 in Hamilton (Seddon Park, Hamilton). To win this match and level the series, Shaheen Afridi’s Pakistani team will have to perform well in every department because in the last match New Zealand had made a huge score of 226 runs. So far 35 T20 international matches have been played between New Zealand and Pakistan (NZ vs PAK), in which Pakistan has won 20 and New Zealand has won 14, while one match has been inconclusive.
Let us tell you that, in view of the T20 World Cup (ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024) to be held in June, this series is considered important for the preparations of both the teams. The Kiwi team destroyed Pakistan’s so-called world class fast bowling line-up in the first match. Captain Kane Williamson played traditionally and completed his half-century while Daryl Mitchell played an aggressive inning of 61 runs. In the lower order, Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman scored runs quickly. Under the leadership of experienced Tim Southee, the Kiwi bowlers performed well and kept giving shocks to Pakistan at regular intervals, due to which the visiting team was restricted to 180 runs. The Kiwi team would not like to make any changes in its playing eleven.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made fast bowler Afridi the captain of the T20 team and the tour of New Zealand is his first task as captain. In the first match, Pakistan had to face defeat due to poor coordination between fielding, bowling and batsmen. Afridi would be expecting his players to learn from past mistakes in the second match and assimilate them on the field. In the first match, former captain Babar Azam played the highest innings of 57 runs for the team. Apart from this, young opener Saim Ayub, who was looking in good form, was run out due to a bad call by wicketkeeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan. The team will expect good innings from Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed and Azam Khan.
Probable playing XI of both teams New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Devon Conway (wicketkeeper), Finn Allen, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ben Sears.
Pakistan: Shaheen Afridi (captain), Sam Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Iftikhar Ahmed, Aamer Jamal, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan, Abbas Afridi.
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