The fourth T20I between PAK and NZ will be played in Christchurch on Friday, January 19. The match starts at 11:40 am IST. The T20I final will also be played in Christchurch on Sunday.
The Black Caps posted a formidable total of 224/7 in 20 overs in Dunedin on Wednesday, January 17. Finn Allen scored 137 runs off 62 deliveries, including five boundaries and 16 sixes. In response, the New Zealand bowlers restricted the opposition to a score of 179/7.
Allen plundered Pakistan’s bowling attack, which looked hapless against his attacking strokeplay. He almost single-handedly took the game away from the visitors. Since 2022, Pakistan has not won a single T20I series, having lost to Australia, England and even Afghanistan. This T20I series loss under Shaheen Afridi will hurt the management.
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The CB after its debacle in the World Cup changed its entire administration and direction. Shaheen and Shan Masood were named Test and T20I captains as Babar Azam stepped down from the leadership role in all formats. Shaheen himself had no influence in the first three games and former Pakistan cricketers cursed the management after the series loss.
Heading into the final two matches, Pakistan are looking to avoid an outright victory. The Kiwis, on the other hand, want to keep the pressure on and try to win the series. The team without its usual captain, Kane Williamson, has been able to keep the opponent under pressure and its players have responded.
PAK vs NZ Match Preview: 4th T20I, 2024
New Zealand
The Kiwis have already won the series, winning the first three games. Heading into Game 4, they’ll expect the same fireworks from Allen’s bat. The locals didn’t feel Williamson’s at all in the last game. There is also the option of Will Young opening the batting.
From a bowling perspective, the management has been willing to rotate players. Having clinched the series, senior pacer Tim Southee could reportedly be rested and Ben Sears is likely to get another chance. New Zealand have been impeccable with their approach in the first three games and are likely to maintain their attacking approach.
New Zealand team
Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway (wk), Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner (C), Ben Sears, Tim Seifert (wk), Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee
Pakistan
Pakistan They will need their players to perform better. In the first three games, they asked their hitters to chase almost impossible targets. The lack of an experienced player like Shadab Khan in the lineup is hurting the team. Senior bowlers Shaheen and Haris need to step up in their team’s remaining two games.
From a batting perspective, Babar Azam has scored three consecutive fifties. However, the other batsmen have not contributed as much as they would have liked. The visitors, despite the series defeat, must continue with the same XI and support them to achieve results in the fourth game.
Pakistan team
Shaheen Afridi (c), Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Haseebullah Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Aamer Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed (retd), Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan
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