HAMILTON: Pakistan hope to bounce back in their second T20 International here on Sunday (today), having lost the first without putting up much of a fight on Friday.
While Pakistan will be without their regular captain Babar Azam, whose thumb injury is likely to keep him away from action for as long as the end of their first Test, the hosts are bolstered by the return of their captain Kane Williamson, and experienced pacers Tim Southee and Trent Boult.
Pakistan are expected to do better as Seddon Park is unlikely to be as bouncy as Eden Park where they lost their first four wickets for just 20 runs. But it is tough for an inexperienced side to quickly adjust to the New Zealand conditions, stand-in captain Shadab Khan has said.
Despite the top-order troubles and fumbles in the field, pacers Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi made a fist of Pakistan’s defence and discomfited New Zealand’s middle order at some points. If Rauf and co. could do more of the same and find greater support from the batsmen, Pakistan could well force the series into a decider at McLean Park on Tuesday. Nobody has taken more T20 wickets than Haris Rauf (55) and Shaheen Afridi (50) this year.
Pakistan’s batting, which appeared light in the absence of both Babar and Fakhar Zaman, will appear even lighter if Mohammad Hafeez misfires again. The veteran batsman has been the most successful T20I batsman this year.
Williamson, who returned to the Seddon Park nets on the eve of the second T20I, is set to regain his No. 3 spot, with Devon Conway and Phillips possibly shifting down the order.
But New Zealand will be without their gun spinner Mitchell Santner, who has got a break following T20 appearances in the CPL and the IPL followed by a brief stint as New Zealand’s T20I captain. Coach Gary Stead conceded that Santner’s absence was a “big loss”, but was looking forward to testing out the other spin options in Ish Sodhi and Todd Astle as the team management plans for next year’s T20 World Cup in India.
The excitement of becoming a new dad meant Williamson couldn’t get enough sleep over the week, but it may be time that the opposition lost some sleep over how to dismiss him on the field. With a number of other first-choice players returning, Jacob Duffy, Doug Bracewell, Mark Chapman and Blair Tickner are forced out of the squad. Canterbury seam-bowling allrounder Daryl Mitchell is likely to replace Santner.