PAK vs NZ Match Preview- 5th T20I, 2024

The PAK vs NZ 5th T20I culminates the five-match series in Christchurch on Sunday, January 21. New Zealand are 4-0 ahead in the series and are looking for a clean sweep. Pakistan are looking to avoid a clean sweep. The match starts at 5.30 am IST.

Pakistan’s loss in the fourth T20I saw PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf resign from his post. He assumed the Chair on July 7 and his second tenure as the chairman of the PCB is considered to be one of the worst in the history of Pakistan Cricket. The PCB went through a lot of changes under his tenure.

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Babar Azam was removed as captain across formats. Shan Masood was appointed as the Test captain and Shaheen Afridi the t20I captain. Pakistan have not won a single T20I series since the T20 World Cup 2022 and the team’s recent performance against New Zealand have put them under pressure just before the T20 World Cup.

New Zealand who had 13 T20I wins against Pakistan before this series have now extended their run to 17 wins. They have outplayed Pakistan in the last four games in all departments. The bowlers were pretty expensive in the first two games while the batters have done their job in the next two games.

Heading into the final two games, Pakistan are looking to avoid a clean sweep. The Kiwis, on the other hand, want to keep the pressure and go for a series win. The team without their regular skipper Kane Williamson has been able to keep the opposition under pressure with their players responding.

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PAK vs NZ Match Preview- 5th T20I, 2024

New Zealand

New Zealand have decided to rest Dary Mitchell Heading into the final T20I game. He scored an unbeaten 73 and added 139 runs with Glenn Phillips to take the hosts to a win and maintain the dominance against Pakistan. Rachin Ravindra will step in his place in the XI. Tim Southee who has played all four games might also rested.

New Zealand have used this series to try and test out players for the T20 World Cup. The series win now allows them to rest and rotate their key players. Devon Conway who tested covid positive in the previous game is also expected to return on this match. There are no injury concerns for the Kiwis heading into this match.

New Zealand Squad

Finn Allen, Tim Seifert(w), Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner(c), Adam Milne, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Ish Sodhi, Chad Bowes, Ben Sears

Pakistan

Pakistan are facing a 5-0 series whitewash. In the first two games, their bowlers were way expensive. In the next two, their batters have not been able to score too many runs. There is too much pressure on the likes of Babar and Rizwan to score runs consistently. The rest of the batters need to step up and chip in as well.

Bowling-wise, Shaheen Afridi needs backup from his other bowlers especially Haris Rauf who has been leaking runs at more than 11 per over in the series. Thus to sum it up, Pakistan needs to change its overall approach to the game to win the final T20I and avoid a clean sweep. They have been timid, to say the least.

Pakistan Squad

Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan(w), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi(c), Mohammad Wasim Jr, Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan, Usama Mir, Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Abbas Afridi, Haseebullah Khan, Aamer Jamal

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