KARACHI: New Zealand defeated Pakistan to win the tri-nation cricket series final played in Karachi.
Pakistan set a target of 243 runs for New Zealand, which the host team successfully chased down with five wickets in hand. Daryl Mitchell scored 57, Tom Latham 56, and Devon Conway 48 to lead New Zealand’s batting charge.
For Pakistan, Naseem Shah took two wickets, while Abrar Ahmed, Agha Salman, and Shaheen Shah Afridi claimed one wicket each.
Earlier, Pakistan won the toss in the Karachi match and opted to bat first. The team was bowled out for 242 runs in 49.3 overs.
Among the top scorers for Pakistan, Mohammad Rizwan made 46, Agha Salman 45, and Tayyab Tahir 38. Other contributions included Fakhar Zaman (10), Babar Azam (29), Saud Shakeel (8), Khushdil Shah (7), Faheem Ashraf (22), Shaheen Afridi (1), and Naseem Shah (19). Abrar Ahmed remained unbeaten on 1.
For New Zealand, Will O’Rourke took four wickets, while Michael Bracewell claimed two.
Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and chose to bat first. He stated that the pitch looks dry and they want to put runs on the board. Rizwan also said that the win against Sri Lanka has given them momentum, and that they will try to do their best. The men in green only have one change in their squad, as Faheem Ashraf is replacing Muhammad Hasnain.