Pakistan Playing 11 vs New Zealand – 5th T20I, 2024

Pakistan faces New Zealand in the fifth and final T20I in a bid to avoid a clean sweep in Christchurch on Sunday, January 21. Pakistan have lost four games on the trot and their performance has been debatable in the series. 

PCB Chief Zaka Ashraf stepped down from his position after his team’s disastrous performance in the series so far. They have lost by big margins and have been outplayed in the process.

Shaheen Afridi has not had the best of starts in his captaincy career and will need support from his fellow cricketers if they are to avoid a clean sweep. Pakistan have not won a single T20I series since the final of the T20 World Cup 2022 and this seems another series loss. 

Shaheen and Haris Rauf as specialist pacers need to take more responsibility with the new ball. The lack of an experienced spinner is costing the team after Usama Mir could not do much with the chances given to him. Haris has been leaking runs at an economy of more than 11 per over. 

Also Read: “This Is Selfishness” – Sikander Bakht Blasts Mohammad Rizwan For 63-Ball 90* vs New Zealand

The batters will also need to take the responsibility of scoring runs and lessen the burden on Babar and Rizan. Pakistan needs a team performance to avoid a clean sweep against the rampant Kiwis at home. 

Pakistan Playing 11 vs New Zealand – 5th T20I, 2024

Mohammad Rizwan (WK)

Rizwan will stick to opening the batting. He is fresh off an unbeaten 90m off 63 balls in the fourth t20I in a losing cause. He is four short of 150 runs for the series after low scores in the first three games.

Saim Ayub 

Ayub will open the batting with Rizwan. He scored just one in the fourth T20I. So far in the series, he has scored just 39 runs in four games at an average of less than 10. 

Babar Azam 

Babar will slot in at three. After three fifties in the first three games, Babar scored 19 in the fourth T20I. He has scored 200 runs from four games at an average of 50. He needs another big score in the fifth T20I.

Fakhar Zaman

Fakhar Zaman also has a bad outing in the fourth t20I. He scored just nine. Along with Babar and Rizwan, he is also amongst the senior batters in the lineup. He also needs a score to back up his talent. 

Sahibzada Farhan 

Farhan replaced Azam Khan in the playing XI and batted at five. He scored just 1 in the fourth T20I. He has a best score of 39 in the format and needs to score much more in the final T20I. 

Iftikhar Ahmed

Iftikhar will slot in at six. He is the designated finisher in the XI but has had few hits and misses in the series so far. He scored just 10 off 14 in the last game. Overall, he has scored 39 runs in the last four games. 

Mohammad Nawaz 

Nawaz will slot in at seven. He scored an unbeaten 21 off nine balls in a losing cause in the last game and also went for 41 runs. He has scored almost 50 runs with the bat. 

Shaheen Afridi (C)

Shaheen Afridi the skipper will slot in at eight. He can hit some lusty blows with the bat and has taken seven wickets from four games but has been very expensive. He needs backup from the rest of the bowlers. 

Mohammad Wasim Jr 

Mohammad Wasim will slot in at nine. He too can hit the ball long and can bowl with pace. He bowled a good spell of none for 24 in the last game. Wasim has taken 36 wickets from 29 T20Is.  

Zaman Khan 

Zaman will be the third pacer in the XI on Sunday. He bowled four overs for 30 runs in the last game. The pacer has taken five wickets in 8 T20Is for Pakistan so far.

Haris Rauf 

Rauf concludes the playing XI for Pakistan for the fifth and final game. He has been the most expensive Pakistan bowler giving away 161 runs in the series so far. He is 10 short of 100 T20I wickets.

Also Read: Zaka Ashraf Resigns As Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman