Pakistan took a decision to drop senior players Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan with an intention to revamp their T20 approach however it doesn’t seem to have worked as they crumbled 91 all out registering their fifth-lowest total in T20I history and their lowest ever on New Zealand soil.
“It was obviously difficult and we weren’t up to the mark,” Ali Agha said. “They bowled really well. They were bowling in the right areas and there was swing and seam for them as well.
“But out batting wasn’t up to the mark. We have won day before the next game and we will try to gather ourselves and be better in the next game.”
The humiliating loss at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, brought forth a storm of criticism on social media, with the fans bashing the PCB’s selection committee for their decisions. Salman Ali Agha, the first-time captain, admitted that the batting of the team was way below par and conceded that they need to re-evaluate their strategy before the second T20I in Dunedin on Tuesday.
Under pressure, Pakistan has to find solutions in a hurry to remain competitive in the series and vindicate their aggressive selection decisions in preparation for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
