Image Source: AP
[Saba Sports News] Pakistan’s cricket team has faced criticism for their fielding, especially highlighted in the recent Test series against Australia with numerous dropped catches and errors. This frustration was compounded during the first T20I against New Zealand in Auckland, where captain Babar Azam missed an easily catchable ball. The mishap occurred when Kane Williamson hit a shot off Abbas Afridi’s bowling, sending the ball directly to Babar at mid-on, which he misjudged, leading to widespread criticism on social media.
In the first T20I, new captain Shaheen Shah Afridi chose to field after winning the toss, citing a history of successful chases at Eden Park. Shaheen, transitioning from a 3-0 Test series defeat in Australia, expressed confidence in the team’s preparation for the T20 format. The match marked T20 debuts for legspinner Usama Mir and seamer Abbas Afridi, with Shaheen leading Pakistan for the first time in any format following Babar’s relinquishment of the captaincy post-50-over Cricket World Cup semi-finals failure.
New Zealand, under Kane Williamson’s leadership, is looking to use this series as preparation for the T20 World Cup in June.
The team faced a setback with Mitchell Santner testing positive for Covid-19. The New Zealand squad included Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Adam Milne, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, and Ben Sears. Pakistan’s team featured Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Aamer Jamal, Usama Mir, Abbas Afridi, and Haris Rauf.