<p>Finally, Pakistan had its day in the spotlight. Pakistan demonstrated how dangerous they can be when they play well, after New Zealand’s four-game run of dominance that made the series outcome certain. The visitors humiliated the hosts for a pitiful 92 in the second innings thanks to an outstanding bowling display spearheaded by off-spinner Iftikhar Ahmed. In the fifth and final Twenty20 International in Christchurch, they won handily by 42 runs.</p>
<p><img decoding=”async” class=”alignnone wp-image-361277″ src=”https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/theindiaprint.com-the-fifth-t20i-match-between-pakistan-and-new-zealand-iftikhar-ahmed-headlines-ama-750×422.jpg” alt=”theindiaprint.com the fifth t20i match between pakistan and new zealand iftikhar ahmed headlines ama” width=”1077″ height=”606″ title=”The Fifth T20I Match Between Pakistan and New Zealand: Iftikhar Ahmed Headlines Amazing Bowling Display as PAK Outscores NZ, Winning by 42 Runs 15″ srcset=”https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/theindiaprint.com-the-fifth-t20i-match-between-pakistan-and-new-zealand-iftikhar-ahmed-headlines-ama-750×422.jpg 750w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/theindiaprint.com-the-fifth-t20i-match-between-pakistan-and-new-zealand-iftikhar-ahmed-headlines-ama-1024×576.jpg 1024w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/theindiaprint.com-the-fifth-t20i-match-between-pakistan-and-new-zealand-iftikhar-ahmed-headlines-ama-768×432.jpg 768w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/theindiaprint.com-the-fifth-t20i-match-between-pakistan-and-new-zealand-iftikhar-ahmed-headlines-ama-390×220.jpg 390w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/theindiaprint.com-the-fifth-t20i-match-between-pakistan-and-new-zealand-iftikhar-ahmed-headlines-ama-150×84.jpg 150w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/theindiaprint.com-the-fifth-t20i-match-between-pakistan-and-new-zealand-iftikhar-ahmed-headlines-ama.jpg 1200w” sizes=”(max-width: 1077px) 100vw, 1077px” /></p>
<p>Shaheen Shah Afridi and company’s outstanding performance with the ball in the series finale bodes well for them in the lead-up to the ICC T20 World Cup in June 2024, even if the match was technically a dead rubber and the Kiwis won by a commanding 4-1 score.</p>
<p>Pakistan, having won the toss and chosen to bat first, could only produce an apparently low-scoring 134/8 in 20 overs. Fakhar Zaman was the only Men In Green hitter who could find success, scoring 33 off 16 balls (1×4, 4×6). The remaining batters struggled and were never able to establish a steady pace.</p>
<p>All six of the visiting team’s batters, except for Fakhar, had strike rates over 100. Their stalwart Babar Azam, in fact, struggled for 24 balls, managed just 13 runs off them, and was dropped twice before he was ultimately removed from the game by a Glenn Phillips catch off Ish Sodhi at deep midwicket.</p>
<p>However, few would have predicted that a goal like 135 would turn into a mountain the home team had to climb. From the start, the BlackCaps were losing wickets. And for Pakistan, most of the damage was inflicted by the spinners.</p>
<p>In the second over of the chase, left-arm spinner Muhammad Nawaz removed fellow southpaw Rachin Ravindra, and in the tenth over, he struck once again to eliminate Will Young. Both Nawaz and Iftikhar had success with lit delivery, as they gained some traction from the surface of Christchurch.</p>
<p>In the thirteenth over, Iftikhar caught Tim Seifert off guard with a full, tossed-up delivery. In the fifteenth over, he executed a brilliant caught-and-bowled to remove Matt Henry from the game. Using yet another flighted ball to entice Ish Sodhi to go big over the deep square and cause a blunder that fell safely into the hands of Fakhar Zaman, the office claimed his third wicket in the same over.</p>
<p>Leggie Usama Mir made a superb caught-and-bowled effort in between to take the wicket of Kiwi skipper Mitchell Santner. The Pakistani spinners took six wickets overall in their 12 overs while giving up only 63 runs. And that’s how the game was won there.</p>
<p>In addition to his disciplined bowling to restrain the BlackCaps hitters, Shaheen Shah Afridi was a valuable addition to the spinners. However, it was an outstanding moment in the field that turned the tide in favor of the visitors.</p>
<p>Mark Chapman, facing Iftikhar, guided the ball down to Zaman Khan at short third on the first delivery of the eleventh over. Before leaving on a little run, Chapman and his companion Tim Seifert had a mix-up.</p>
<p>Zaman hit Iftikhar with a rocket toss while Chapman was having trouble on the non-striker’s end. The off-spinner removed the bails with ease after collecting it neatly behind the wickets.</p>
<p>Chapman was far short of his ground, and Pakistan won the game thanks to some good fielding. After a rough day on the field, where Chapman dismissed Babar Azam twice before Glenn Phillips eventually caught the Pakistani batting mainstay off Ish Sodhi, the runout came.</p>
<p>In the 17th over, Shaheen removed the last two wickets in consecutive balls. Recalling his deadly bowling exploits, the Men In Green skipper first trapped Phillips at deep midwicket before destroying Lockie Ferguson with a blistering yorker on middle stump. Perhaps it was the sight the star fast bowler needed to refuel in order to prepare for the highly anticipated T20 event and the intense match against India in June.</p>
