RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) - The first T20I of the five-match series between Pakistan and New Zealand was rained off at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday. The two sides will reassemble on Saturday for the second match, hoping the weather will support entertaining and exciting cricket.
There was cloud cover throughout the day with a light drizzle falling. However, during the three-hour window from around 5pm to 8pm, the light showers stayed away. This allowed the ground staff to prepare the ground and hand it over to the umpires, enabling the toss to take place half an hour late.
Pakistan not only used the pre-toss opportunity for warm-ups, but they also announced the awarding of T20I caps to Abrar Ahmed, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Usman Khan. At the toss, New Zealand announced Tim Robinson as their T20I debutant.
However, as Shaheen Shah Afridi got ready for his run-up and was about to bowl the first delivery of the match, light showers returned, forcing the players off the field.
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Players returned at 10.17pm local time for a five-overs-a-side match but only two balls were possible before play halted for the final time. Shaheen Afridi’s first ball went for two leg-byes, while the second dismissed the symmetry of Robinson’s stumps. It was Shaheen’s 14th first over wicket of the career.
Squads:
Pakistan - Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohmmad Amir, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama Mir, Usman Khan and Zaman Khan
New Zealand - Michael Bracewell (captian), Tom Blundell, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Will O’Rourke, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi and Zak Foulkes.