Pakistan cricket team looks to secure series victory when they take on New Zealand in the fourth T20I today (Thursday) at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The Black Caps managed to keep their hopes alive in the five-match T20I series after a nail-biting triumph against Pakistan in the third T20I here at the Gaddafi Stadium. The first two matches were comfortably won by Pakistan, but the last match proved to be a last-over thriller, thanks to some excellent performances from Pakistan’s Iftikhar Ahmed and New Zealand’s James Neesham.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam blamed his team's defeat on their batting performance. “We didn't bat well enough. We kept losing wickets at crucial stages, because of which the pressure kept building throughout the run chase, but our bowling has been superb this series."
New Zealand captain Tom Latham and all-rounder Mark Chapman have been in excellent form with the bat, while for Pakistan, Babar Azam, who scored a hundred in the second T20I, and Iftikhar Ahmed are in great nick. Haris Rauf has been the standout bowler for Pakistan, taking 10 wickets in three matches at an astounding average of 7.5. Meanwhile, Matt Henry has been the best bowler for New Zealand, claiming six wickets at an average of 14.67.
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Ahead of the fourth T20I, New Zealand’s all-rounder Daryl Mitchell stated that their tense win in the last match has given the team confidence for the remaining matches. Mitchell said, "It was obviously a hell of a game of cricket, and awesome for the boys to get across the line. It gives the guys a lot of confidence heading into the rest of the series, and you never know what will happen over the next few games."
The hosts will be tempted to bring in young batsman Muhammad Haris, who enjoyed a sensational T20 World Cup in Australia last year and also performed well in the recently-concluded Pakistan Super League. He could come in place of Saim Ayub, another batsman who impressed in the PSL.
On the bowling front, the absence of express quick Ihsanullah from the starting XI has perplexed many, including former chairman Ramiz Raja. The right-arm fast bowler was the find of PSL 2023 and was also the top wicket-taker in the recent T20 series against Afghanistan. His extreme pace and accuracy could give Pakistan's lethal attack even more teeth.
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PROBABLE XIS
PAKISTAN: Muhammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah.
NEW ZEALAND: Tom Latham (c & wk), Chad Bowes, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, James Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Adam Milne, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Ben Lister.