Pakistan’s spinners propel its cricket team to a 42-run victory in the fifth and final Twenty20 international against New Zealand on Sunday, preventing a series whitewash.
Although Pakistani cricket team lost the overall series 4-1, the positive conclusion came as they successfully defended a modest total of 134-8 by bundling out the Black Caps for a mere 92.
Part-time off spinner Iftikhar Ahmed emerged as player of the match, delivering a career-best performance with figures of 3-24.
New Zealand, grappling with the absence of key batters Kane Williamson (knee injury), Devon Conway (Covid-19), and Daryl Mitchell (rested), faltered against the turning ball.
The weakened batting lineup struggled, with only Finn Allen (22) and Glenn Phillips (26) managing to cross the 20-run mark.
Pakistan’s bowling unit, led by Iftikhar Ahmed, dismantled the opposition’s last eight wickets for a paltry 39 runs, showcasing their best bowling display of the series.
Left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz (2-18) made early inroads by dismissing Rachin Ravindra and Will Young, while Shaheen Shah Afridi, concluding his maiden series as captain, contributed with figures of 2-20.
Despite the heroics, New Zealand’s top-order frailty was evident as they succumbed to their eighth-lowest T20 total.
Earlier in the match, the hosts appeared poised for a clean sweep as their bowlers, led by seamers Tim Southee, Matt Henry, and Lockie Ferguson, combined with spinner Ish Sodhi to restrict Pakistan’s batters. Southee, the leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket, claimed two crucial wickets, including the dismissal of debutant Haseebullah Khan in the opening over and later removing the dangerous Fakhar Zaman (33 off 16 balls) in the 13th over.
Pakistan’s top-scorer Mohammad Rizwan, contributing 38 off 38 balls, couldn’t propel his team to a formidable total, ultimately resulting in their lowest first-innings score in the series.
While the series loss remained a bitter pill to swallow, Pakistan found solace in concluding on a positive note, avoiding a complete series whitewash with their commendable bowling performance in the final T20 international.
