Chasing 164 for victory, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson built on the exploits of 59, three Pakistani batsmen – openers Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Nawaz and Haider Ali – in the 30s with three balls to spare to achieve an easy victory. scored runs for The last.
Although there were a lot of positives for both Pakistan and New Zealand as they gear up for the T20 World Cup, Williamson showed glimpses of his class in the final, hitting a 38-ball 59, hitting most of the off-road matches for the first time.
The Black Caps captain’s shots were swept away and his innings included four fours and two sixes and came at a strike rate of 155.28. Going ahead in the T20 World Cup in Australia, the promise shown by Williamson will be a big boost for the runners-up in the previous edition of the tournament.
For Pakistan, Rauf was the star performer again with the ball. The 28-year-old right-arm pacer took two wickets, including the always-reliable Devon Conway’s wicket, and conceded only 22 runs. He bowled 12 dot balls and scored runs at a poor economy of 5.50.
Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, who will return to the squad for the T20 World Cup practice games and tournament, and Rauf could form a powerful combination as the Babar Azam-led side aims to make an impact in Australia.
For Pakistan, the scoring rate has been the buzzword in this series which their batting order needs to work on. Concerns have been raised about their middle order, with heavy reliance on the captain and Rizwan to fire at the top.
In the final against New Zealand, some of these fears were put to rest as Nawaz, Haider Ali and Iftikhar Ahmed played aggressive innings to bring Pakistan over the line.
Nawaz scored an unbeaten 38 off 22 balls, Ali made 31 off 15 and Ahmed made 25 not out in 14. The trio hit six sixes in total and their contribution to the competition brought a sigh of relief to many Pakistan fans.
New Zealand 163/7 in 20 overs (Kane Williamson 59; Naseem Shah 2/38, Haris Rauf 2/22) lost to Pakistan 168/5 in 19.3 overs (MD Rizwan 34, Mohammad Nawaz No. 38, Haider Ali 31, Iftikhar Ahmed 25 no.) by five wickets.