Pakistan’s 84-run defeat in the second ODI against New Zealand ended their chances of securing a third consecutive ODI series win in SENA nations. However, it also placed emerging spinner Sufiyan Muqeem in the record books.
The hosts appeared set for an even more dominant win after posting 292-8 and then reducing Pakistan to 72-7 before the lower order staged a late fightback in an otherwise one-sided contest.
Pakistan struggled early, slumping to 93-7 when Haris Rauf was struck on the helmet and forced to retire hurt. His concussion substitute, Naseem Shah, entered at 114-8 and joined forces with Faheem Ashraf (73 off 80), stitching together a valuable 60-run ninth-wicket stand.
Naseem showed remarkable resilience, smashing a career-best 51 off 44 balls before Ben Sears (5-59) wrapped up the innings. At the other end, Sufiyan Muqeem remained unbeaten on 13, etching his name into the record books.
With his unbeaten 13, Sufiyan Muqeem now holds the record for the highest score by a No.12 batter in men’s ODIs, surpassing Afghanistan’s Zahir Khan (4* vs Bangladesh, 2023).
Since international cricket traditionally features 11-a-side contests, the No.12 position only became relevant after concussion and COVID-19 substitutions were introduced.
While Sufiyan Muqeem made history, Naseem narrowly missed out on securing the highest-ever ODI score by a No.11. His 51 fell short of Mohammad Amir’s record of 58, which he had scored against England in 2016.
| Position | Score | Batter | Team | Opposition | Ground | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 237* | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | West Indies | Wellington | 2015 |
| 2 | 264 | Rohit Sharma | India | Sri Lanka | Kolkata | 2014 |
| 3 | 194* | Charles Coventry | Zimbabwe | Bangladesh | Bulawayo | 2009 |
| 4 | 189* | Viv Richards | West Indies | England | Manchester | 1984 |
| 5 | 174 | Heinrich Klaasen | South Africa | Australia | Centurion | 2023 |
| 6 | 201* | Glenn Maxwell | Australia | Afghanistan | Mumbai | 2023 |
| 7 | 170* | Luke Ronchi | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Dunedin | 2015 |
| 8 | 100* | Simi Singh | Ireland | South Africa | Dublin | 2021 |
| 8 | 100* | Mehidy Hasan Miraz | Bangladesh | India | Mirpur | 2022 |
| 9 | 92* | Andre Russell | West Indies | India | North Sound | 2011 |
| 10 | 86* | Ravi Rampaul | West Indies | India | Visakhapatnam | 2011 |
| 11 | 58 | Mohammad Amir | Pakistan | England | Nottingham | 2016 |
| 12 | 13* | Sufiyan Muqeem | Pakistan | New Zealand | Hamilton | 2025 |
With the series already decided, Sufiyan Muqeem and Pakistan will look to salvage some pride in the third and final ODI, while New Zealand will aim to complete a dominant series with a clean sweep.