HAMILTON: Pakistan stand-in skipper Shadab Khan has said visitors failing to capitalise the powerplay phase cost them the second T20I against New Zealand here at the Seddon Park on Sunday.
Tim Southee’s four-wicket haul and Tim Seifert’s unbeaten 84-run knock helped New Zealand gain an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Shadab also said playing in the foreign condition was a bit tough for the Pakistan squad.
“Tough game for us, powerplay cost us the game. It’s not a technique issue, the conditions were a bit difficult,” Shadab said after the match. Pakistan got off to the worst possible start in the second T20I, however, Mohammad Hafeez’s unbeaten knock of 99 runs helped the visitors post 163/6 in the allotted twenty overs. The stand-in skipper said Hafeez’s blistering knock was one of the positives and added Pakistan will come good in the dead rubber.
“We’ll take positives from Hafeez’s knock. Hopefully, we do better in the next game. As a senior player and as the captain, I take responsibility,” said Shadab.
“We get boosted by the crowd, hopefully, we can put up a better show in the next game,” he added.
Chasing 164, New Zealand got off to a quickfire start as openers Martin Guptill and Seifert put on 35 runs in just 21 balls. However, Pakistan came back strongly as Faheem Ashraf dismissed Guptill (21) in the fourth over of the innings. Skipper Kane Williamson then joined Seifert in the middle and the latter did not let the momentum drop for the hosts.
At the halfway mark, New Zealand was sitting comfortably at 91/1, with just 73 runs away from the victory. In the end, Williamson and Seifert guided Kiwis to a nine-wicket win over Pakistan. (ANI)
