In the first T20I of the series against New Zealand, Pakistan’s debutant pace bowler, Abbas Afridi, made an impressive start by taking three crucial wickets.
Abbas’s exceptional performance saw him dismiss Finn Allen, skipper Kane Williamson, and Glenn Philips, ending with bowling figures of 3 for 34 in his four-over spell.
Finn Allen, who played destructive innings, managed to score 35 runs off just 15 balls. Abbas’s timely dismissal of Allen was pivotal in slowing down New Zealand’s momentum. Kane Williamson, who was well-set, contributed 57 runs to the Kiwi’s total. However, Abbas Afridi managed to send him back to the pavilion and last with the important wicket of Glenn Phillips.
What a debut over by Abbas Afridi
To Williamson Dropped by Babar
To Fin Allen, deceiver by magnificent slower ball#PAKvNZ https://t.co/CZzgqIg8ts— Ahmer Najeeb Satti (@AhmerNajeeb) January 12, 2024
The 22-year-old, Abbas Afridi left a key impact on New Zealand’s innings. Despite his brilliance, the rest of Pakistan’s bowlers failed to provide adequate support in containing the Kiwi batsmen.
New Zealand finished with a mammoth total of 226/8 courtesy of brilliant innings by Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson and Finn Allen. Abbas Afridi and Shaheen Afridi took 3 wickets each while Haris Rauf took 2 in an economical spell.
