RAWALPINDI: Shaheen Shah Afridi seemed to be back to his devastating best. Mohammad Amir, bowling in his first international match after three and a half years, looked as if he’d never been away. Newcomer Abrar Ahmed added zip and guile to the spin bowling department. Ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup, Pakistan’s bowling attack looked complete and New Zealand had no answer.

Pakistan’s pacers and spinners turned up the style to lead their side to victory over New Zealand in the second Twenty20 International at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

In front of a partisan crowd, fast bowlers Shaheen (3-13), Amir (2-13) and Naseem Shah (1-27) picked up six wickets among them while spinners Abrar (2-15) and Shadab Khan (2-15) equally shared four wickets as Pakistan shot down a New Zealand side missing several first-team regulars for 90 in 18.2 overs after skipper Babar Azam had elected to field.

Pakistan, though, didn’t cruise towards the paltry target, losing three wickets before Mohammad Rizwan (45 not out) and Irfan Khan Niazi (18 not out) carried them past New Zealand with 7.5 overs to spare. Rizwan, who hit the winning boundary over square leg, smashed a six and four fours in his 33-ball knock while Irfan’s run-a-ball effort featured a six and a four.

Unlike the rain-hit first game where New Zealand saw Tim Robinson bowled by Shaheen on the second and last ball, the visitors negotiated the first two overs without any damage.

But Shaheen made the breakthrough soon after with Shadab diving to his right at backward point to pouch Tim Seifert (12).

Amir, who has come back into the side after taking back his international retirement, then enjoyed a stunning return with just the second delivery he bowled, a slower one deceiving Robinson (four) who gave Iftikhar Ahmed an easy catch at short cover.

Another change in pace gave Amir his second wicket, Dean Foxcroft (13) departing after holing to Babar at mid-off, having hit a six off the pacer two balls earlier; New Zealand ending the powerplay at 35-3.

Abrar broke the spine of New Zealand’s batting lineup with two wickets in the first over he bowled. First, he had Mark Chapman, who made 19 with three boundaries, caught at deep square leg and then had James Neesham caught at short mid-wicket two deliveries later.

Shadab then accounted for Michael Bracewell, the New Zealand skipper undone by a quicker one to leave the tourists at 59-6. The Black Caps resisted further losses for a brief period but Shaheen returned to clean up Cole McConchie (15) with a searing yorker and Ish Sodhi’s attempt to go big saw him fall lbw to Shadab soon after.

Naseem got his only wicket when Ben Sears found Babar at mid-off and Shaheen ended New Zealand’s innings with another sizzling yorker that hit Ben Lister’s off-stump.

Lister gave New Zealand some hope when he removed Pakistan opener Saim Ayub (four) with a brilliant, diving return catch early on.

After a tentative start, Rizwan and Babar opened their arms in the fourth over as Sears was smacked for a six and four by the former and a boundary by the Pakistan skipper.

In the next over, Rizwan and Babar added a four each of Bracewell but the spinner hit back against his Pakistan counterpart, getting him stumped for 14 as the hosts finished the powerplay at 48-2.

Usman Khan, another newcomer to the side ahead of the World Cup in the United States and West Indies, made seven before he dragged a Sodhi delivery onto his stumps.

But Rizwan and Irfan, who was one of three debutants for Pakistan alongside Usman and Abrar in the last game, ensured there was no further damage.

SCOREBOARD

NEW ZEALAND:

T. Seifert c Shadab b Shaheen 12

T. Robinson c Iftikhar b Amir 4

D. Foxcroft c Babar b Amir 13

M. Chapman c Saim b Abrar 19

J. Neesham c Shadab b Abrar 1

C. McConchie b Shaheen 15

M. Bracewell c Naseem b Shadab 4

I. Sodhi lbw b Shadab 8

J. Duffy not out 8

B. Sears c Babar b Naseem 3

B. Lister b Shaheen 1

EXTRAS (W-2) 2

TOTAL (all out, 18.1 overs) 90

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-16 (Seifert), 2-22 (Robinson), 3-35 (Foxcroft), 4-49 (Chapman), 5-50 (Neesham), 6-59 (Bracewell), 7-76 (McConchie), 8-79 (Sodhi), 9-85 (Sears).

BOWLING: Shaheen 3.1-0-13-3 (1w), Naseem 4-0-27-1, Amir 3-0-13-2, Abrar 4-0-15-2, Iftikhar Ahmed 1-0-7-0, Shadab 3-0-15-2 (1w).

PAKISTAN:

Saim Ayub c&b Lister 4

Babar Azam st Seifert b Bracewell 14

Mohammad Rizwan not out 45

Usman Khan b Sodhi 7

Irfan Khan Niazi not out 18

EXTRAS (LB-4) 4

TOTAL (for three wickets, 12.1 overs) 92

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-4 (Saim), 2-41 (Babar), 3-56 (Usman).

DID NOT BAT: Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Abrar Ahmed.

BOWLING: Lister 2-0-10-1, Duffy 2-0-7-0, Sears 3-0-30-0, Bracewell 2.1-0-23-1, Sodhi 3-0-18-1.

RESULT: Pakistan won by seven wickets

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Shaheen Shah Afridi

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2024