The Men in Green faced harsh criticism on Twitter after losing the T20Is against New Zealand with two games remaining. Pakistan’s Twenty20 International career under Shaheen Afridi has started horribly as they lost the third Twenty20 International against New Zealand on Wednesday by 45 runs at the University Oval in Dunedin, conceding the five-match series with two games left.
So far in the series, Finn Allen has been particularly cruel at the top of the order against the bowlers from Pakistan. In the third match of the series, the opening batsman went one step further after scoring 34 and 74 runs in the first and second Twenty20 internationals, respectively.
In his remarkable 137-run knock, he hit 16 sixes in all, setting up the Blackcaps to once again register a massive total.
With only a few months left until the 2024 T20 World Cup, Pakistan sees this series loss as a concerning indication.
The Men in Green’s decision to alter the batting order has not gone as expected; the middle order is proving to be a major source of trouble once more, and the bowlers have found it difficult to exert control throughout the whole innings.
The Men in Green faced harsh criticism on Twitter after losing the T20Is
Afridi put the Blackcaps into bat for the third straight game, and they responded with a spectacular batting display that secured the victory. The hosts scored 224-7 after opening batsman Finn Allen scored the highest score by a New Zealand hitter in a Twenty20 International.
Saim Ayub and Mohammad Rizwan‘s revamped opening combination fell short once more, while Babar Azam struck his third straight fifty. After 20 overs, Pakistan concluded with 179-7, but the former captain was not helped by the rest of the middle order.
The squad’s performance left Pakistani supporters furious as Mohammad Hafeez’s losing streak since taking over as team director continued.