Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar were Pakistan's most expensive bowlers in the opening Twenty20 tour match against Auckland. —AFP Photo
Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar were Pakistan\'s most expensive bowlers in the opening Twenty20 tour match against Auckland. —AFP Photo
AUCKLAND: Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand got off to an unimpressive start after the visitors were humiliated by Auckland in the opening Twenty20 tour match on Thursday.

Batting first, Pakistan were bundled out for 90 runs without completing their quota of 20 overs as Auckland’s left-arm pacer Michael Bates ripped through the top order.

Bates reduced Pakistan to 7-3 in the third over, which included the wicket of captain Shahid Afridi, who opened the batting along with Mohammad Hafeez.

Middle-order batsmen Younis Khan and Umar Akmal provided brief resistance for the visitors, as they put together a 38-run partnership. Akmal’s 29-ball-25 was the highest score for Pakistan.

All-rounder Abdul Razzaq (16) combined with Umar Gul (19) for a late flurry, which took Pakistan to 90 runs in 17.4 of their 20 overs.

Auckland province’s openers took the attack to Pakistan, with Colin de Grandhomme and Martin Guptill scoring 28 runs in three overs. Grandhomme was dismissed by Shoaib Akhtar in the third over, but the speedster was Pakistan’s most expensive bowler, giving away 31 runs in four overs.

Auckland reached the target in 13.2 overs, led by New Zealand opener Guptill, who made an unbeaten 28. Saeed Ajmal had the best bowling figures for Pakistan, with two wickets for 20 runs.

Pakistan meet New Zealand in the first of three Twenty20 internationals in Auckland on Sunday.

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