On Thursday, the first t20I match between Pakistan and New Zealand was cancelled due to heavy rain in Rawalpindi.
The highly anticipated first T20I fixture of the five-match series Pak vs NZ faced a damp start because of heavy rain in Rawalpindi. Due to weather conditions, initially the match was shortened to just five overs for each side. However, there was a brief resumption of play, during which Shaheen Afridi took an early wicket for Pakistan. He took this wicket by bowling a skillful delivery to Tim Robinson, which knocked down his stumps.
Unfortunately, the rain started again, which led the umpires to stop the match for safety reasons. Before the rain interruption, New Zealand won the toss, and they decided to bat first. Pakistan gave debut caps to three new players: Usman Khan, Irfan Khan Niazi, and Abrar Ahmed. They set out to showcase their talents along with seasoned players like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. New Zealand also introduced Josh Clarkson to the international arena for the first time.
Pakistan’s squad included: Babar Azam (captain), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, and Abrar Ahmed.
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Meanwhile, New Zealand’s team comprised: Michael Bracewell (captain), Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, James Neesham, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert (wicketkeeper), and Ish Sodhi.
Schedule of Upcoming Matches
Despite the disappointment of the rain, cricket lovers can look forward to the schedule of upcoming matches. The second T20I is scheduled for April 20, which also has 49% chances of rain. Following is the current schedule of the upcoming matches. It can change according to weather conditions.
Schedule Pak vs NZ:
- April 18: 1st T20I, Rawalpindi
- April 20: 2nd T20I, Rawalpindi
- April 21: 3rd T20I, Rawalpindi
- April 25: 4th T20I, Lahore
- April 27: 5th T20I, Lahore