After six consecutive losses in the New Zealand tour (that included five losses in the one day internationals and a loss in the first Twenty20) Pakistan bounced back emphatically to clinch the series and reclaim that number one position in the T20 rankings.
In the high pressure decider Pakistan set New Zealand a daunting 182 to win. The pace was set by Fakhar Zaman who has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise underwhelming series. The left handed opener smashed a 36 ball 46 and was unfortunate to be given out just when he was starting to look menacing. Captain Sarfraz promoted himself to the number four position after coming lower down in the one day internationals chipped in with 29. Pakistan’s total was given a final thrust by Haris Sohail and Umar Amin.
New Zealand who went into the match as the number one ranked T20 team were without opener Colin Munro who missed out due to injury. But in the opening exchanges his presence was not missed as Martin Guptill took the attack to Pakistan. It was the impressive Shadab Khan whose tight bowling caused New Zealand trouble throughout the spell who claimed the all important wicket of Guptill on his final ball of the spell. Ross Taylor’s cameo gave New Zealand a glimmer of hope but it was extinguished by the excellent Muhammad Amir as Pakistan claimed a rather comfortable victory in the end. Shadab claimed the man of the match for his excellent spell whereas Amir clinched the man of the series award for his excellent economy rate throughout the series.
Despite the loss in one day internationals Pakistan will take heart from its T20 series win. The performances of Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan were particularly impressive whereas Muhammad Amir and Hasan Ali have also shown their ability. The current Pakistan team is far from the finished product but considering that they beat one of the best T20 sides the future looks bright for Pakistan provided the young talent is properly groomed. The Pakistan Super League starting next month will provide another excellent opportunity for many youngsters to prove their ability. The focus for Pakistan has to be next year’s World Cup now.