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[Saba Sports News] During the second T20I between Pakistan and New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton on January 14, Pakistan’s Iftikhar Ahmed showed visible annoyance towards a fan. This happened while Pakistan was fielding, having chosen to do so after winning the toss under captain Shaheen Shah Afridi. Iftikhar, positioned near the boundary line, reacted sharply when the crowd teasingly called him ‘Chachu’. A circulating social media video captures him telling the fan to be quiet in response.
In the match, New Zealand secured a 21-run victory over Pakistan. This triumph gave the Kiwis a 2-0 lead in the five-match series, following their earlier win in Auckland by 46 runs. A significant contribution to New Zealand’s win was Finn Allen’s 41-ball 74, including a 59-run opening stand with Devon Conway. Pakistan’s Haris Rauf shined in the first innings with figures of 3/38, aided by debutant Abbas Afridi’s 2/43.
Pakistan’s batting faltered in the chase, losing early wickets. A partnership between Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman showed promise, but was short-lived as Zaman fell at 50. Babar’s 66 off 43 couldn’t prevent Pakistan from collapsing to 173, ending three balls short of their innings. New Zealand’s Adam Milne was particularly effective, taking four wickets for 33 runs, while Tim Southee, stepping in as captain for the injured Kane Williamson, took two wickets, including the final dismissal of Abbas Afridi.