Overview of Pakistan’s ODI Performance against New Zealand
During the second ODI in Hamilton, former cricketer Basit Ali expressed his deep disappointment with Pakistan’s cricket strategy, going as far as to say he felt “betrayed”. Ali criticized Mohammad Rizwan’s captainship harshly and suggested that Pakistan might as well concede the match before even playing the final ODI. This reaction came after a series of underwhelming performances, highlighting a troubling period in Pakistan’s cricket history.
Match Highlights: A Struggle for Dominance
The Men in Green began the ODI series on a low note, following a 4-1 defeat in the T20I series. Despite high hopes, the team’s performance continued to wane. The first innings were particularly brutal, with Mitchell Hay leading a fierce attack, and Ben Sears taking an impressive five wickets. Pakistan’s situation seemed dire at 65/6, but spirited knocks by Faheem Ashraf (73) and Naseem Shah (51) brought a slim ray of hope.
The Tumble to Defeat
Unfortunately, the team could not overturn their fortune and ultimately collapsed at 208 all out, conceding the series with an 84-run defeat. Basit Ali, in his comments on his YouTube channel, lamented the era of cricket Pakistan was playing, criticizing the team’s strategy and Rizwan’s captaincy.
Individual Performances and Setbacks
- Babar Azam: Managed only 1 run
- Abdullah Shafique: Scored merely 1 run
- Salman Agha: Crumbled at 9 runs
- Mohammad Rizwan: Constricted to 5 runs
- Imam-ul-Haq: Limited to 3 runs
- Tayyab Tahir: Reached a 13-run high, the only double-digit score among the top six
Ali’s stinging remarks pointed out the bleak performance: “The top six Bradmans all settled for single-digit scores apart from Tayyab Tahir.”
Looking Forward
With the series now beyond their reach, Pakistan must focus on deriving a positive outcome from the final match scheduled at Bay Oval on Saturday. It remains to be seen whether the team can regroup and end the series on a high note.
Related: Is Rishabh Pant’s Record Rs 27 Crore Price Tag Impacting His Performance?
Last Updated: April 5, 2025
